Everything We Know About Prime Video's God Of War Series 

Prime Video is very invested in bringing video game universes to life. Besides "Fallout" hitting the top of the charts and so-so shows like "Secret Level" showing just what kind of video game worlds can be made for television, one of the streaming service's next big projects is "God of War." The show has everything in it to become as big as "The Last of Us" or "Game of Thrones," if it gets its combo moves right.

Since 2005, efforts have been made to bring Kratos to life, initially via the big screen — an attempt that was eventually nixed. Almost 20 years later, and after a critically acclaimed revival of the "God of War" franchise in 2018, Amazon Prime Video confirmed that a show was in the works, pulling from the latest chapter that took a tonal shift from what the franchise used to be.

For those who aren't well-versed in the Ghost of Sparta's history, don't worry. By the gods, we're going to explain everything we know about "God of War" and why PlayStation's angriest character has what it takes to lead one of the most compelling father-son journeys on television. So take a seat by the fire, get your axe at the ready, and prepare for intense facial hair envy.

Taking a mythic approach similar to films like "Logan" and "Unforgiven," Prime Video's "God of War" will draw from the 2018 game, which reunited fans with a very different Kratos from the one they previously knew.

Once a hero driven by a revenge mission against the gods of Olympus who nearly destroyed him, the 2018 "God of War" found Kratos in mythical Scandinavia, living a new life with his son Atreus. The story starts on a somber note, as Kratos, fulfilling the last wish of his second wife and Atreus' mother, Faye, is tasked with scattering her ashes from the highest peak across all realms. So begins a journey of estranged father and son, one that becomes even more challenging when a stranger arrives, hoping to pick a fight. From there, Kratos is forced to confront the past he hoped to hide from Atreus, who learns about his father's true nature and the potential they both hold.

On this road trip riddled with epic dangers, ranging from dragons to giants, this powerful father-and-son duo crosses paths with a host of new friends and foes from Norse mythology. These include dwarven blacksmiths Brok and Sindri and brutish gods Modi and Magni, the sons of Thor. Naturally, grounds shake, realms rattle, and Kratos makes it abundantly clear in brutal fashion why he was the true god of war.

A host of big actors are heading to Midgard to bring "God of War" to life, some of whom have already visited the nine realms in the original video game series. Playing Kratos is Ryan Hurst, known for "Sons of Anarchy" and "The Walking Dead," years after voicing Thor in the game's 2022 sequel, "God of War Ragnarök." Hurst made his debut in a first-look image released by Prime Video, alongside Callum Vinson as Atreus. Another familiar "God of War" character returning to the show is Alastair Duncan, who appeared in both games as Mimir, a Norse god known for angering Odin and being beheaded as a result.

Regarding the rest of the cast, we have:

• Legendary Hollywood actor Mandy Patinkin portraying Odin, the orchestrator of Kratos' troubles
• "Deadpool" star Ed Skrein set to face off against Hurst as Baldur
• "Severance" star Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor
• Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka cast as Brok and Sindri, respectively
• Teresa Palmer as Sif
• Max Parker as Heimdall
• Ben Chapple as Magni
• Louis Cunningham as Modi
• Island Austin as Thrud
• Evelyn Miller as Gna
• Sonya Walger as Freya

As of now, two key roles still uncast are Freya, voiced in the game by Danielle Bisutti, and Faye, voiced by "Daredevil: Born Again" star Deborah Ann Woll. Don't be surprised if one or both of these names are added to the final cast list as filming progresses.

While it might seem that the development of Prime Video's "God of War" was going smoothly, the team that initially signed on to bring it to life isn't the one that will see it through to the finish line. When it was announced in 2022, the creators of "The Expanse," Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, were on board to write the show along with "The Wheel of Time" showrunner, Rafe Judkins, who would do the same in this new show. Unfortunately, by October 2024, all parties left the show due to creative differences with the studio, which was looking to take Kratos and Atreus' journey in another direction.

With a variety of roles to fill, Ronald D. Moore, television jack of all trades and creator of the "Battlestar Galactica" reboot, "Outlander," and Apple TV's groundbreaking series "For All Mankind," was asked to switch from space shuttles to world serpents. Courageously accepting the challenge, he joined the project as a writer, showrunner, and executive producer.

The only concern for some fans might be that Moore has admitted on the Sackhoff Show to never playing the games. But Walton Goggins never touched "Fallout," and Pedro Pascal stayed away from "The Last of Us" after trying and failing to give the game a shot. Keeping that in mind, all we can do now is pray to the gods that Kratos is in good hands, and that the journey we eventually set out on is one worth taking.