Bautista’s Kratos Casting In God Of War Is Ideal, But The Show’s Thor Is Even Better

Published Sep 27, 2026, 11:30 PM EDT

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In a surprising turn of events, Dave Bautista has been cast to play Kratos in Prime Video's God of War. The upcoming live-action video game adaptation previously had taken Ryan Hurst onboard to play the central character, Kratos. However, as fate would have it, the actor had to step away from the part after a major injury.

This is when Dave Bautista was considered for the part. The former WWE star had previously established that he was glad his run as Drax in the MCU was over, given how physically demanding the part was. Owing to this, it was hard not to wonder if he would take another role that demands physicality. Fortunately, he agreed to become Kratos, which makes the upcoming show even more exciting.

However, as exciting as Dave Bautista's casting may seem, the show seems to have made an even more fascinating casting choice for Thor. God of War has one of the most distinct and bleak portrayals of Thor, which demands an actor capable of bringing a lot of range and menace to the screen. With Ólafur Darri Ólafsson cast to play the role, the adaptation already looks even more promising.

Like Bautista’s Kratos, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson‘s Thor Seems Perfect For Live-Action God Of War

Image via Apple TV+

In the God of War games, Thor is nothing like the MCU's mainstream depiction of the character. He almost looks like a massive, heavy-set powerlifter with a giant frame but a big gut. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson seems to have the exact same physique as God of War's Thor, making him the perfect live-action mirror image of the character.

Thor in God of War Ragnarök was voiced by Ryan Hurst. The actor adopted a perfectly deep and weary tone to capture the character's dominating presence and inner turmoil. Ólafur Darri Ólafsson already seems to have a very deep and resonant voice, which again aligns with the God of War character he will soon play.

Even when it comes to his range as an actor, Ólafsson has, time and again, proven that he has what it takes to play emotionally demanding roles. God of War's Thor is not merely a brute. Beneath his hard, stoic exterior, he is a broken and self-loathing alcoholic who is used as a pawn by his own father. Ólafsson seems to have the acting forte to perfectly capture the depth with which Thor is portrayed in God of War.

How Ólafur Darri Ólafsson’s Height Compares To God Of War Games’ Thor

In God of War's Norse Saga, Kratos' height is shrunken down to 6 feet 4 inches, which perfectly aligns with Dave Bautista's real height. However, Thor in the games towers above Kratos at 7 feet 4 inches. While Ólafur Darri Ólafsson is almost a foot shorter than the games' Thor, the show will likely adopt creative camera tricks and CGI to show how much bigger he is than Kratos.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of all the main characters' heights in God of War's Norse saga:

Character	Height
Tyr	8'5" (256 cm)
Thor	7'4" (225 cm)
Kratos	6'4" (193 cm)
Freya	6'2" (188 cm)
Odin	6'0" (180 cm)
Baldur	5'11" (180 cm)
Atreus (In Ragnarök)	5'7" (170 cm)

Casting Tyr Will Be A Challenge For The Live-Action Show, But 1 Actor Already Seems Perfect

Standing at 8 feet 5 inches, Tyr is among the tallest characters in the entire God of War franchise. Finding the right actor to play him in the live-action show could prove challenging. However, one actor already seems ideal for the part: Olivier Richters. For a long time, Richters remained relatively lesser-known as an actor.

However, in recent times, he has gained quite the momentum after starring in everything from Reacher season 3 to Street Fighter. Standing at 7 feet 2 inches, the Dutch Giant has the physical appearance to perfectly embody Tyr in the upcoming live-action show.

Even from an acting standpoint, Olivier Richters has only been getting better with each new project. Especially after his performance in Reacher season 3, he seems ready to play a menacing character like Tyr in Prime Video's God of War. Hopefully, after Dave Bautista and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, he, too, will join the show's cast.

Adapted from the PlayStation video game franchise, God of War is an action-adventure drama series in development under Amazon. The series will center on series protagonist Kratos, but no other information on the series has been divulged.