God of War series to recast Kratos after Ryan Hurst injury
Ryan Hurst left Amazon’s live-action God of War production after tearing a bicep during a stunt, according to Deadline.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Amazon’s live-action God of War series is looking for a new Kratos after lead actor Ryan Hurst was injured during production, The Verge reported, citing Deadline. The change matters because four completed episodes are now expected to be filmed again with another actor, adding another delay to a project first announced in 2022.
Deadline reported that Hurst, known for Sons of Anarchy, tore a bicep while performing a stunt. The actor had been cast in January to play Kratos, the central character in the adaptation of the 2018 God of War game, according to The Verge.
Production has been halted while the studios search for a replacement, The Verge reported. The show is aiming to restart filming in mid-October, but Deadline reported that schedule does not give Hurst enough time to recover fully from surgery.
Completed episodes will be reshot
The four episodes already finished with Hurst will be redone once a new lead actor is hired, according to The Verge. Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television, which are producing the series, have not announced who will take over the role.
The recasting creates a difficult production reset for a series that has already taken years to reach this stage. The Verge reported that the show was announced in 2022 and later faced additional delays, including a 2024 creative reset.
Deadline reported that Hurst had added 40 pounds of muscle for the role before the injury. Hurst also has a prior connection to the game series: he voiced Thor in God of War Ragnarök, the sequel to the 2018 game, according to The Verge.
The show is based on the 2018 God of War game, which shifted the long-running PlayStation franchise into a Norse mythology setting and centered on Kratos and his son. The Verge identified Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television as the companies behind the television adaptation.
No revised release timing was reported, and the studios have not named a new Kratos. For now, the production’s next step is casting a replacement before filming can resume.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.