Which Actors Could Star As Kratos in a God of War Movie or Series?
If God of War spawned a movie or Netflix series, who would be a good fit to take on the role of Kratos?
Considering the substantial success of Sony Santa Monica's recent release God of War, many fans are wondering how long they'll have to wait before the franchise gets adapted into a live-action film or television series. Many enthusiasts seem to think that God of War is already on its way to becoming a Netflix original — our research shows that not to be the case, at least for the time being — but if it did, who should play Kratos? Here are a few actors who seem to fit the bill.
Who Could Play Kratos In a God of War Movie?
Part of thinking about who could play a good Kratos involves looking into both Kratos himself as well as his past. Any new movie or television series based on God of War will more than likely center around Kratos' origin story, meaning the character won't be old, scarred, and haggard like the Kratos in God of War 2018 — not necessarily, anyway. Pure physique is no straightforward indicator either, as Kratos was relatively slim (though still muscular) in the early games. Again, this is flexible considering that films often take their inspirations in new directions.
Of course, it wouldn't be entirely out-of-question to have a muscular actor take on the role, assuming they've got the voice, the attitude, and most importantly, the talent to back it up. With that said, many would agree that it would just seem wrong to put someone like Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel into the role, no matter how much we may like or dislike them. With all of these separate considerations in mind, here are a few interesting choices.
Jason Momoa
As most of the internet believes by now, Jason Momoa is the obvious choice to play Kratos. He's made a name for himself playing badass, ripped characters who play by their own rules and come into their own sort of power, whether they like it or not. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Momoa has already stated he'd readily take on the role of Kratos, assuming someone made the offer.
Djimon Hounsou
Djimon Hounsou is an interesting choice for a number of reasons. Not only does he feature exactly the physique that playing Kratos would require, he's also done a lot of work in films based around both history and fantasy — Gladiator, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Guardians of the Galaxy, and even video game tie-in film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life are among his featured films. The fact that he's a highly-acclaimed actor with two Oscar nominations under his belt is only icing on the cake, and his hard-hitting on-screen personalities seem ideally suited to playing the Ghost of Sparta.
Beyond all this, when God of War series creator David Jaffe was asked by Entertainment Weekly who he'd choose to play Kratos in a God of War live-action film, his answer was Djimon Hounsou:
"Djimon Hounsou as Kratos. Absolutely. You have to get past the fact that Kratos is Greek, but in terms of the way he looks and his acting ability and his physique — I can't think of a better choice."
David Wenham
Here's one that might come out of left field. Australian actor David Wenham has starred in loads of different films, and throughout his career has earned awards for his roles in TV drama series as well as several wins and nominations for his role playing Faramir in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings series. More than that, he's already played the role of a beefed-up, bearded Spartan warrior in the film adaptation of 300, and his skills as a narrator are sure to suit the epic tale of Kratos' origins.
Christopher Judge
Here's another obvious choice — Christopher Judge, the current voice of Kratos in the latest God of War game. He's a big guy, standing 6'3" and weighing around 240 pounds, perfect for the muscular tough-guy Kratos was always meant to be. Even better, he has extensive experience working on fantasy-based entertainment, starring in 213 episodes of sci-fi TV series Stargate SG-1. He also seems to have no qualms at all about going bald for a role, and though this is a subjective take, he looks a lot like Kratos, with high cheekbones and a defined jawline.
Jon Bernthal
Here's a man that knows how to be gruff and intimidating. Jon Bernthal has starred in a wide array of different movies and television shows, but most fans will likely know him from either The Wolf of Wall Street, The Walking Dead, or as Frank Castle in Netflix's take on The Punisher. He's ripped, he's menacing, and he's got a deep baritone voice and poignant style of acting that could be perfectly suited to playing Kratos.
It's been a very long time since God of War was pitched as a movie concept — 2007, by our earliest accounts. Considering the recent game's tremendous success, talks to bring Kratos to the silver screen may be in the works right now. Who knows when, if, or how the Ghost of Sparta may may his big-screen debut, but as soon as we hear any new information, we'll be sure to report on it. Until then, learn more about the latest game from Sony Santa Monica by heading over to our extensive God of War walkthrough and guide.
