Transforming into a video-game character for a live-action adaptation often requires more than recreating the costume and physical appearance audiences are familiar with. For roles defined by imposing builds and extraordinary strength, actors also have to undergo demanding physical preparation to bring those characters convincingly to the screen.
Dave Bautista has now offered a glimpse of his preparation to play Kratos in Prime Video’s upcoming God of War series. The actor shared a video on his Instagram Story, revealing that he had gained 20 pounds for the role and now weighs 250 pounds.
The update comes roughly two months after Bautista first shared details of his training. In an Instagram post on September 1, he said he was in his third week of weight training and had another two months to reach the physique he wanted. His latest post, which carried the message “Gained 20 lbs for GOW”, also showed him wearing a God of War T-shirt.
Bautista was officially cast as Kratos in August, replacing Ryan Hurst, who had originally been announced for the role. Hurst suffered a biceps injury while filming and required surgery, prompting the production to recast the character. Scenes already filmed with Hurst will have to be reshot with Bautista.
Known for his roles as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Glossu Rabban in Dune, Bautista has also spoken in recent years about losing weight after reaching over 300 pounds for Knock at the Cabin. In a September 2024 interview, he said he had slimmed down because he was uncomfortable with his size, adding that he may have taken the weight loss too far. He had previously put his weight at around 240 pounds.
The live-action adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game franchise has received a two-season order. It follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they journey across the Norse realms to scatter the ashes of Faye, Kratos' wife and Atreus' mother. Through their journey, Kratos attempts to teach his son how to become a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to become a better human.
The series also stars Callum Vinson as Atreus, with Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor and Mandy Patinkin as Odin. Ronald D Moore serves as the writer and showrunner, while Frederick EO Toye is directing the first two episodes. A premiere date has not yet been announced.