Olivier Richters, the actor portraying Zangief in the recent Street Fighter movie, has expressed a strong desire to play the role of Tyr in Amazon Prime Video's upcoming live-action God of War series. Richters, who stands over seven feet tall and weighs more than 350 pounds, noted that his size makes him a natural fit for mythological characters.
Richters shared that he was previously considered for the role of Kratos. He auditioned and advanced through several callbacks before Dave Bautista was ultimately cast. Richters stated he has great respect for Bautista's casting but feels Tyr would be a more suitable role for him. "My agent told them, ‘Olivier wants to be Tyr.’ So, let’s see if it happens,” Richters told IGN.
He had previously mentioned this aspiration on Instagram in February, acknowledging that his height might make him too imposing for Kratos. In that post, he wrote, “My real dream? A chance to audition for Týr. That would, in my opinion, be perfect.”
Beyond his potential role in the God of War series, Richters is currently focused on his portrayal of Zangief. He is actively training for Street Fighter 6 with professional players, aiming to become a top-tier Zangief player himself. "I want to enter a tournament one time as the real Zangief playing Zangief," he revealed. "If there is gonna be a second [movie], I want to be the ultimate Zangief."