Christopher Judge, the actor behind Kratos in the recent God of War titles, has voiced his disapproval of how video game adaptations are being handled, particularly citing the upcoming Amazon series based on God of War. Judge feels it is a misguided practice to not involve the original creators and talent from the source material when adapting games, especially when the adaptations closely mirror the existing stories.
During a panel at a summer FanExpo convention, Judge elaborated on his concerns. He questioned the decision-making process behind adaptations that, despite using pre-existing and successful game narratives, opt to sideline the individuals who shaped those worlds. He drew a parallel to HBO's The Last of Us, acknowledging the quality of its casting and writing but questioning why the original game's cast and writers were not prioritized, especially for episodes that directly replicate game scenes. "My problem with all game adaptations [is] you have this pre-existing, successful property, and the first thing you do is not hire anyone associated with it," Judge stated.
Judge specifically pointed to the God of War series, expressing bewilderment that the game's writers, who have been immersed in the franchise's lore for two decades, were not involved in the show's writing process. While Cory Barlog, a creative director for God of War, and PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst are executive producers on the series, Judge questioned the extent of their direct creative involvement. This contrasts with The Last of Us, where Neil Druckmann, a creator of the game, served as a showrunner, writer, and director for its HBO adaptation, indicating a deeper integration of original talent.
The actor's remarks come at a time of production adjustments for the God of War TV series. Filming was temporarily halted in July due to an injury sustained by actor Ryan Hurst, who was portraying Kratos. The severity of the injury has led to a decision to recast the role, with Dave Bautista reportedly in talks to take over. Production is slated to resume in the fall. Many had hoped Judge might be considered for the live-action Kratos given his vocal performance and physical presence, but this now appears unlikely.
Looking ahead, Judge is set to reprise his role as Kratos in God of War: Laufey early next year and is expected to lead a future Kratos-centric game. Meanwhile, Sony Santa Monica is also developing remakes of the original God of War trilogy, which will feature the original voice actor for Kratos, TC Carson, returning to the character.