Dave Bautista has officially been cast as Kratos in Amazon's God of War series.

      After Ryan Hurst was forced to step aside from his role as Kratos due to an injury sustained on set, Amazon MGM and Sony Television have officially announced the casting of Dave Bautista, known for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy, to take on the iconic character of the God of War.

      Hurst had originally been cast as Kratos, with Callum Vinson playing his son Atreus. However, Hurst suffered a significant injury when he tore his bicep during a stunt in June, leading to a pause in production and prompting Amazon to seek a replacement due to the severity of his condition. Reports from earlier this month suggested that discussions had begun with Bautista to assume the role, with plans to completely reshoot all of the footage to integrate Bautista, even though the series had already been in production for four months at the time of Hurst’s injury.

      The God of War series had been greenlit for two seasons, with plans to film them back-to-back in Vancouver. Production is set to resume in mid-October, with director Frederick E.O. Toye returning to shoot the first two episodes again.

      The series adapts the rebooted games from Santa Monica Studio, set long after the original trilogy. It follows Kratos, who previously demolished the Olympic pantheon in a violent quest for revenge, now leading a reclusive life in Norse lands, tasked with raising his 10-year-old son Atreus alone following his wife's death. Together, they seek to honor her final wish by spreading her ashes and encounter various Norse gods, as Odin attempts to manipulate a powerful prophecy.

      God of War will see Bautista and Vinson alongside Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Danny Woodburn as Brok, Sonya Walger as Freya, Island Austin as Thrud, Ben Chapple as Magni, Louis Cunningham as Modi, and Evelyn Miller as Gna.

      The father-and-son duo, Kratos and Atreus, set out on a quest to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Throughout their journey, Kratos endeavors to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus aims to help his father become a better human.