Ryan Hurst, cast as Kratos in Amazon's live-action God of War TV series, tore his bicep during a stunt and required surgery earlier this month, forcing production to pause immediately [1, 2, 3]. The injury prevents Hurst from continuing, as typical recovery for a bicep tear takes four to six months, a timeline the show cannot accommodate [1, 3].
Before the injury, the production had completed filming four episodes with Hurst as Kratos. Those episodes will now be reshot with a new actor, as the series has decided to recast the role rather than wait for Hurst to recover [1, 2, 3]. No replacement actor has been officially named yet [2, 3].
Hurst had gained approximately 40 pounds of muscle to portray the character accurately, reflecting the physical demands of the role [1, 2, 3]. Filming began a few months ago and was progressing well until the injury [1]. Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television are producing the series [2, 3].
The show also stars Callum Vinson as Atreus, with other announced cast members including Ed Skrein as Baldur, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Max Parker as Heimfall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and Danny Woodburn as Brok [3]. The production plans to shoot two seasons back-to-back [3].
Production aims to resume filming by mid-October, allowing time to cast the new Kratos and reshoot scenes completed with Hurst [1, 3].
