Kratos Actor Issues Cryptic Social Media Post Following God of War TV Show Image Backlash — and Now Fans Are Hoping It Doesn’t Represent What We’ll Actually See On-Screen

Last week, Amazon pulled backmost the curtain connected its hotly anticipated God of War TV amusement with a archetypal look representation of Ryan Hurst arsenic Kratos and Callum Vinson arsenic Atreus. It did not spell well.

Some said it looked similar an AI-fueled deepfake. Others said it looked cheap, similar cosplay. Others said Hurst wasn’t ripped capable to play Kratos, and that Callum Vinson is excessively young to play Atreus. Whatever your feeling connected the image, it’s wide God of War has made a mediocre archetypal impression.

Then, implicit the weekend, aft a brutal fewer days successful which the God of War representation had go the butt of the internet’s jokes, Hurst issued a cryptic connection connected his Instagram stories, saying: “Don’t judge everything you spot connected the internet, kids.”

It’s an unusual statement. It does not notation God of War successful immoderate way, but aft the events of past week and the backlash to the representation of God of War, it seems improbable it could beryllium astir thing else. Assuming it is astir the image, possibly Hurst is suggesting it does not bespeak what fans volition spot on-screen erstwhile the God of War TV amusement hits Prime Video. Will the extremity effect beryllium changed significantly?

If that’s the case, God of War whitethorn beryllium acceptable for a Sony-style ocular fix. For the uninitiated, the archetypal plan for Sonic the Hedgehog successful Paramount’s present hugely palmy movie franchise met with an online backlash truthful vociferous, it forced a redesign. That redesign worked, fans were overmuch happier with their large surface Sony, and Paramount enjoyed hundreds of millions of dollars astatine the container office.

Maybe Kratos volition get a akin makeover. Or, possibly much likely, fixed God of War is present successful production, this representation represents an aboriginal — possibly excessively aboriginal — look astatine the characters successful costume, without the polish and accumulation worth we tin expect from Prime Video. Maybe what Hurst is really trying to bash present is reassure fans, admitting that the representation is conscionable awful, possibly aided by AI successful immoderate way, and that amended things are to come. Fingers crossed!

"This makes maine deliberation 1 of 3 things," 1 instrumentality suggested. "The photograph is AI, oregon astatine slightest HEAVILY enhanced by AI. I’m inclined to deliberation the second thought, but wherefore other would helium accidental this? With this being a first-look, he’s fundamentally saying it is not the last look. That would not beryllium surprising, arsenic it is mean for first-looks to alteration and look amended successful the last product. He’s trying to prevention face. That present they person heard the responses from the public, and volition present spell into making things look closer/better to however they should."

“Atreus, the 10-year-old lad of Kratos, grew up successful a distant wood cabin, isolated from the remainder of the satellite and raised astir wholly by his mother, Faye,” an authoritative statement for the quality says. “He is an accomplished archer, has an affinity for animals, and is intensely funny astir what lies beyond the confines of his wood home. After his mother’s death, Atreus is near with a cold, distant begetter who helium hardly knows and who knows small astir him successful return. Nonetheless, Atreus yearns for his father’s support and is hopeless to beryllium helium is beardown capable to past successful a harsh and unsafe world.”

Hurst, meanwhile, played Thor successful Sony Santa Monica's 2022 video crippled sequel God of War Ragnarok. “Through their adventures, Kratos tries to thatch his lad to beryllium a amended god,” an authoritative statement says, “while Atreus tries to thatch his begetter however to beryllium a amended human.”

Teresa Palmer, Max Parker, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Mandy Patinkin person joined arsenic Sif, Heimdall, Thor, and Odin, respectively. The astir caller additions saw Amazon bringing backmost Alastair Duncan arsenic Mimir, portion besides adding newcomers Danny Woodburn arsenic Brok and Jeff Gulka arsenic Sindri. Deadpool histrion Ed Skrein plays Baldur.

Production is presently underway successful Vancouver, with a two-season bid mounting showrunner Ronald D. Moore of Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek Deep Space Nine fame up for immoderate time.

Word of a live-action God of War adaptation archetypal arrived successful aboriginal 2022 earlier Amazon moved to officially denote the task aboriginal that aforesaid year. After a troubled improvement saw the exit of erstwhile showrunner Rafe Judkins arsenic Amazon deed the reset button, the amusement yet recovered a caller originative direction. Moore took implicit arsenic showrunner successful precocious 2024, with Shogun and The Boys seasoned Frederick E.O. Toye tapped to nonstop its archetypal 2 episodes.

Amazon and Sony person not announced a merchandise day for the God of War show. While we wait, cheque retired our interrogation with Ronald D. Moore from SDCC 2025, wherever helium talked astir his imaginativeness for the series. We’ve besides got a communicative connected Sony Santa Monica’s reported adjacent God of War game, which is simply a spot surprising.

Image credit: Amazon Prime video.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].