Christopher Judge Turns Down God of War
The live-action adaptation of the beloved video game saga, God of War, finally entered production earlier this year, only to encounter a few choppy waters when key personnel faced unexpected setbacks. The production, spearheaded by showrunner Ronald D. Moore, is now gearing up for filming, with production scheduled to resume in mid-October in Vancouver.
Central to the story has been the search for a suitable face for the epic role of Kratos. While Ryan Hurst was slated to portray Kratos, the focus soon shifted to the legacy of Christopher Judge, who had become synonymous with the character in the Norse-era games.
Judge himself had expressed reservations about taking on the massive commitment. At 62, the idea of demanding 16-to-18-hour workdays, constant dieting, and rigorous workouts simply didn’t appeal to him. When asked about his decision to step away from the demanding life of a leading actor, Judge reflected on the relentless pressure of maintaining peak physical and mental performance.
“I had talked, and I thought, ‘God, what a great legacy to leave for my grandson.’ So I started working out,” Judge shared. However, the physical demands proved too much. “Then, just the reality of it… because I did read! I did read for it. It was so hard for me to memorize my lines, which I never had a problem with. And that was my mind and body starting to tell me, ‘You don’t want to do this.’ I was one of the leads of Stargate at 33 to 44 and then stopped. Now, at 62, to be the lead, I just have no desire to live that way again.”
When the production faced further challenges with Hurst’s injury, the casting landscape shifted. Dave Bautista was brought in to step into the role of Kratos, prompting a response from Judge regarding the casting choice. Judge expressed genuine hope for Bautista’s success, emphasizing that the performance should come from authenticity rather than physical perfection.
“With Ryan, I thought that was absolutely the right choice. He’s played all the games. He’s a gamer and new father; like, who better? Then when he got hurt, it was like, are they going to take time to read with and call people back?” Judge mused. “I just hope he doesn’t cause any health issues to put back on all that weight.”
Judge concluded by offering a timeless piece of advice for any actor taking on a monumental role: “All I want is whoever… that he loves this character as much as we all do, and he just lets it fly. Don’t be afraid of being emotional. Don’t be afraid of being soft or whatever. As long as you lead with honesty and love, it’s going to be great. So I’m happy for him.”
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