Dave Bautista Reveals Body Transformation To Play Kratos On God Of War Prime Video Series

Dave Bautista is preparing to star in the "God of War" TV series as Kratos on Prime Video, and he's bulking up to play the hardened berserker from the award-winning game franchise. What started out as a highly anticipated project has become a true talking point among audiences because original star Ryan Hurst suffered an on-set injury and had to part ways with the show.

Bautista took to Instagram to update fans on his body transformation for the role, writing in the caption, "3rd week into weight training again. 2 more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin a bike! LFG!" In the video, he flexes for the camera to show off his physique before giving a couple of Kratos-like roars. It's accompanied by audio from "The Godfather III," using Al Pacino's iconic quote, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

The actor is no stranger to piling on the muscle mass after starring in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" trilogy as Drax the Destroyer, another angry brawler. However, the Marvel character's literal and serious nature is played more for comedic purposes compared to the deep-seated rage that burns inside Kratos.

Dave Bautista's comments suggest that Prime Video will restart production on "God of War" in November. The show will have to completely reshoot the four episodes that had reportedly already been filmed with Ryan Hurst before he was injured during a stunt for the series. The lengthy recovery time meant that the "Sons of Anarchy" alumnus wouldn't be back to full strength until mid-2027, which did not fit with the streamer's schedule.

Plus, his young costar Callum Vinson, who is playing Kratos' son, Atreus, would've grown up significantly and the streamer would've had to recast that role. It's incredibly disappointing for Hurst, who had reportedly gained 40 pounds of muscle for the role to perfectly capture Kratos' rippling physique. Thankfully, Bautista's casting has gone down well with players, and he even has the approval of Christopher Judge, the Kratos voice actor who revealed why he didn't return for the role in live action.

The series will adapt the award-winning 2018 game by Santa Monica Studios, and the synopsis reads, "When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak — his wife's final wish. Kratos soon realizes the journey is an epic quest in disguise, one which will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world."