Ryan Hurst, who was previously cast as Kratos in Amazon's adaptation of the 2018 God of War game, has shared a new image of himself as the character on Instagram. This new photograph offers a significantly better look at Hurst as the Spartan warrior than official production stills released earlier this year, leading to renewed fan sentiment.
Reports indicate that Hurst was forced to leave the role after sustaining a torn bicep, prompting Amazon to seek a replacement. The recent image, preserved by Reddit users and first spotted by IGN, has drawn a wave of sympathy from fans who feel Hurst was a strong fit for the character and that the production missed an opportunity. "You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone," one user commented, echoing the sentiment that fans are missing out on Hurst's potential portrayal.
The reception to this new photo stands in stark contrast to the reaction to the initial images released by Amazon. Hurst himself appeared to address some of the online criticism with a now-deleted Instagram story message that read, “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet, kids,” suggesting the first look did not represent him at his best.
Fans have expressed their hope that Amazon might reconsider and wait for Hurst to recover. Discussions on Reddit suggest a willingness to wait for the actor to heal, with some users stating they would not mind a delay of several years if it meant Hurst could return to the role. While Amazon is reportedly considering Dave Bautista for the part, the emergence of this new image has galvanized a segment of the fanbase advocating for Hurst's return to the role of Kratos.