In a move that seems unprecedented, Ryan Hurst will lose his role as Kratos in Amazon’s God of War television series. Hurst tore his bicep on set in late June while performing his own stunts. Production was immediately put on hold to determine a plan moving forward. The nature of Hurst’s injury was a key concern. With production being on location in Vancouver, Canada, the show is reportedly on a tight schedule. Showrunner Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) will film two seasons back-to-back for Amazon and Sony Pictures.
A Bad Injury at a Bad Time
A majority of bicep tears take anywhere from 4 to 6 months to heal. Full recovery sets at around a year. This recovery time frame, on top of the fact that Hurst’s co-star, Callum Vinson, is a child actor, put the final nail in the coffin. The series began filming last February, and four episodes were complete before Hurst’s injury. It has been decided that not only will Hurst be replaced, but all four episodes will be reshot. Callum Vinson plays Kratos’ son, Atreus, and his age was a key factor in the decision. Production staff felt any recycled footage might clash too heavily with production delays given how puberty affects childhood actors unpredictably.
Renewal
Hurst’s complete replacement is an incredibly rare industry move. His commitment to the role will be hard to follow. In pre-production, Hurst packed on 40 lbs of muscle to portray Kratos. He also seemingly did most, if not all, of his own stunts. Hurst even served as a direct link to the games themselves. He previously voiced and motion-captured the character Thor in the game God of War Ragnarök. Filming should resume in mid-October as long as all the ducks are in a row.
The God of War games are a tentpole franchise of Sony Computer Entertainment. Early entries stretch back as far as the PlayStation 2 generation. As it currently stands, the Amazon series follows the most recent reboot of the games that began in 2019. Viewers will experience an older, grizzled Kratos in the icy north. He adventures with his son Atreus in a bid to lay the ashes of his wife to rest. Kratos has a lot of baggage; essentially, a god on the run. Circumstances led him into the arms of his deceased wife, Faye. In the duo’s journey, Kratos helps his son navigate the responsibility of having a god’s blood. Atreus counters this by helping temper his father’s famous rage, grounding his humanity.
This story is bound to have more developments in the upcoming months. We will keep you informed as we continue to learn more.
