A new report has emerged that Prime Video is planning to recast Kratos in the God of War TV show after lead Ryan Hurst suffered an accident on set, which makes his transformation for the role all the more heartbreaking. There’s been plenty of hype for the upcoming series, which is primarily based on the 2018 God of War game. The story centres on father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a pilgrimage to scatter the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Young actor Callum Vinson plays Atreus, while Sons of Anarchy star Ryan Hurst bagged the lead role at the start of the year. It seemed custom-made, not least because he voiced Thor in the 2022 game, God of War: Ragnarok. However, in late June, Hurst tore his bicep while shooting a stunt. Sources have told Deadline that he is in hospital and recovering, but the outlet also learned that a new actor is set to take over as Kratos in the series. Ryan Hurst spent months transforming into Kratos This will no doubt be a devastating blow for Hurst, who spent months preparing for the role and packed on 40lbs of muscle to portray the Spartan warrior. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Hurst (Gobind Seva Singh) (@rambodonkeykong) As said by BodyBuildingBros, while most actors train to build big muscles and look impressive on screen, Hurst also trained his body to move well, making him better prepared for motion capture and stunt-heavy action scenes. He’s also grown an interest in vegan food thanks to his friend, although it’s unclear whether he stuck to this to gain so much muscle for Kratos. Either way, the Sons of Anarchy star underwent a dramatic physical transformation after landing the role, before spending months filming in Vancouver. Sources said he had completed four episodes – stunts and all – before the accident. Hurst reportedly tore his bicep while performing the stunt in late June and has since undergone surgery. Why the God of War TV show is recasting the role Although Hurst’s wellbeing is said to be the main priority, the recovery time is reportedly too long for studios Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios to wait. While the God of War series is on a filming hiatus right now, a torn bicep can take up to half a year to heal, while full strength can take even longer. As stated by Deadline, due to how physical the part is, Hurst wouldn’t be ready to start shooting again until around 2027. Credit: Prime Video Insiders said that production is expected to begin ramping back up in mid-August, with filming due to resume in mid-October. It’s currently unclear who could take Hurst’s place as Kratos, but for now, fans are devastated at what felt like a role custom-made for the actor. Over on Reddit, one wrote, “This is horrible, I feel so sorry for him. To spend so much time preparing and changing your life and appearance for a role, and then to get hurt on set and your part is recast, I can’t even imagine.” Another agreed, “Dude me neither this would’ve been his big break and he would’ve no doubt been a bonafide superstar after this show. I have no interest watching this show now without him playing Kratos.” However, a third pointed out, “I don’t know that I would call it his big break, he’s been in some pretty notable things over the years, especially Sons of Anarchy.” He also plays Athena’s alter alongside Zendaya in The Odyssey, which the commenter noted is “gonna be huge.” Although they did add, “Still heartbreaking to hear about someone losing a job this way though.” For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured images credit: Prime Video/Instagram/@rambodonkeykong Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
