Dave Bautista is in talks to take over the role of Kratos in Amazon Prime Video‘s live-action adaptation of God of War, following a recasting prompted by original star Ryan Hurst’s injury.

Hurst had been cast as Kratos but suffered a torn bicep that forced a change in plans for the production. Amazon and the show’s producers are now negotiating with Bautista, known for roles including Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, to step into the lead role.

The series is based on Sony’s popular God of War video game franchise, which follows Kratos, a former Greek god of war turned Norse mythology figure, across a story centered on fatherhood and vengeance. Mandy Patinkin has already been cast as Odin for the series, giving fans an early look at the show’s approach to the Norse pantheon central to the more recent games.

Production plans call for filming to resume this fall following the recasting process, though Amazon has not confirmed an exact start date or release timeline for the series.

The casting shuffle comes as interest in the God of War franchise remains high across gaming and entertainment. Separately, the franchise’s next mainline game chapter, God of War Laufey, is set to launch Feb. 16, 2027, and is expected to receive a full physical disc release ahead of Sony’s broader push toward digital-only distribution by January 2028.

Cory Barlog, the director behind the franchise’s 2018 reboot and Ragnarok, has been appointed head of creative at Santa Monica Studio, the Sony-owned developer behind the games, positioning him to oversee the franchise’s direction across both games and adaptations going forward.

Bautista has increasingly taken on physical, character-driven roles beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including turns in Dune and Knock at the Cabin, making him a natural fit for a role built around Kratos’s combination of brute strength and emotional weight as a father figure to his son, Atreus, in the games’ more recent storylines.