God of War actor Christopher Judge has reacted to the latest rumors about his character's live-action casting in Prime Video's TV adaptation. A God of War series is one of many video game adaptations in development at Amazon's Prime Video right now, and is being overseen by showrunner Ronald D. Moore (Outlander). In the TV series, a new actor is expected to take on the live-action version of Kratos, the protagonist and titular God of War, and casting rumors are beginning to circulate.
The first casting rumors have come from YouTuber and critic John Campea, who posted a list of names that are rumored to be in contention for the role of Kratos in Prime Video's God of War (although Campea noted that some of the names on the list were red herrings, but would not specify which). On that list was the name of Christopher Judge, the actor who voiced and provided the motion capture for Kratos in the God of War (2018) and God of War: Ragnarok games. Upon seeing the news that he was rumored for the role on social media, Judge responded on X with: "I am??? 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️❤️"
Judge's reaction to these rumors could be interpreted in several ways. The actor has publicly pushed to continue his role in live-action. In 2023, Judge posted on X jokingly in response to Dave Bautista's rumored casting as Kratos that "it’s been said I can’t read a room."
Earlier in 2022, a fan posted that Judge would make the perfect live-action Kratos, which Judge reposted with the comment "co-sign." Judge's acknowledgement of these latest rumors could be seen as him continuing to campaign for the live-action role of Kratos.
Alternatively, the actor's confused response may simply be a way of deflecting attention away from the idea of his casting. If casting is indeed heating up on the God of War series, it's possible that Judge has already had conversations about Kratos' role behind closed doors, or knows the truth about who is up for the role.
His confusion may be his way of debunking any theories regarding his casting to maintain the element of surprise for fans (whether it really is him playing Kratos or not).
Some of the other names in Campea's video that are supposedly in contention for the role include Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Winston Duke, Henry Cavill, and Joe Manganiello. Several of these are popular fan casts for the live-action role of Kratos, although it should be noted that any of these could be the false names in Campea's list.
The God of War series is currently in the writing stage, with Moore telling Collider in July that it was "going very well." The series is a co-production between Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures TV, with Santa Monica Studio’s Cory Barlog and Yumi Yang serving as executive producers.
Should Christopher Judge Play Kratos Again in Live-Action?
The actors from video games will rarely continue their roles in the live-action adaptations. The Last of Us recast Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson's Joel and Ellie with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, offering new actors a chance to bring their takes to these roles. However, the show adaptation did utilize Merle Dandridge as Marlene, the role she held from the games, proving stars from the games can sometimes continue their roles into live-action.
The role of Kratos is the most crucial piece of casting in Amazon's God of War series and will undoubtedly be one of the hottest castings in Hollywood. However, Judge seems eager to return to his role should the opportunity arise, and plenty of fans support him as the right person to carry that role.
This could be made even more likely depending on which of the God of War games Prime Video's series chooses to adapt. Judge played Kratos in the Norse era of God of War, which includes the 2018 game and the 2022 sequel.
When Prime Video began working on its God of War series, an early synopsis suggested it would start with the Norse saga, in which Kratos has turned his back on his life as a Greek God and has begun a new life in Midgard.
Judge is responsible for making Kratos the character he is during this era, and he was rewarded for it with awards at the DICE and Game Awards, proving he was exceptional in the role. This history could give him a leg up for consideration for Kratos' role in live-action.
