Before rumors spread that Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson is taking over the role of Kratos in Prime Video’s adaptation of God of War, the original actor nearly quit playing the character. Christopher Judge, who portrayed Kratos in 2018’s God of War, was heavily praised for his performance so one might wonder the reason for his departure.
Judge has been a staple in the industry for years, appearing on several TV, movie, and video games. Some of his notable roles in the past were D-Mob in the Def Jam Vendetta series and Black Panther in Marvel’s Avengers. His portrayal of Kratos propelled him to fame, one that he has brought to life with so much nuance, layers, and complexity.
God Of War Actor Reveals Quitting Kratos Role For One Major Reason
Appearing at The Game Awards 2022, Christopher Judge received the Best Performance for a video game, which was presented by actor Al Pacino. In his acceptance speech, Judge revealed he almost quit God of War Ragnarök after discovering Cory Barlog would not return as director:
“I think it’s kind of common knowledge that we were honored to go to Tribeca after 2018, and when Cory took me outside and said he wouldn’t be directing the next one, I literally did quit. I quit. And he said, ‘Nah, I vouch for Eric.’ And I said, ‘Eric Williams better be a beast.’ Eric Williams is a motherf**king beast.”
It remains unknown if Judge actually quit or only expressed his disappointment with the turn of events. Barlog’s direction of the 2018 game was unmatched, and fans were skeptical at first about the passing on of the torch to Eric Williams. In the end, the latter delivered and truly proved he is a “beast” after the 2022 video game release received high ratings and positive reviews.
Aside from Judge’s Best Performance award, God of War Ragnarök also took home Best Narrative, Best Audio Design, Best Score and Music, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Innovation in Accessibility.
Will Dwayne Johnson Play Kratos In God Of War?
While rumors persist that Dwayne Johnson will be wielding Kratos’ blades in the upcoming God of War series, director Cory Barlog dismantled the gossip through a Twitter post. As fans brace themselves with thrill and excitement for the Prime Video adaptation of one of the most popular game franchises, fan casting is going to be inevitable.
In a short statement, Barlog laid the rumor to rest and hinted that The Rock was not yet considered for the franchise. He promptly replied to a post with the rumor reportedly coming from TMZ:
“I have literally never heard anything about this.”
It seems that the report was only concocted to make a buzz on social media. But, because of Barlog’s intervention, everyone has been assured that no lead actor has been chosen to play the role of Kratos at the moment.
While the God of War TV series is in its early stage of development, details are still kept under wraps, and no release date or cast has been announced yet. The news of a game franchise being developed for television would be enough to keep fans on their toes, so it is highly advisable to stay tuned for future updates.
God of War Ragnarök is available on PlayStation 4 & 5.
Sources: The Game Awards, Twitter
