How Big & Tall Dave Bautista Is Compared To God Of War Games’ Kratos

Dave Bautista has been officially cast to play Kratos in Prime Video’s upcoming God of War adaptation. Although he was not the first choice for the role, everything from his appearance to his acting chops suggest he is perfect for the part. Before Bautista took the role in the upcoming Prime Video game adaptation, Ryan Hurst was cast for the role.

Unfortunately, due to an injury during filming, Hurst was forced to abandon the part, forcing the series’ creators to find someone new. This is when Dave Bautista was considered for the part. In terms of appearances, Ryan Hurst, too, seemed like an incredible casting choice. The actor even shared a picture of himself in Kratos’ get-up before being forced to leave the role behind.

While Hurst’s exit is unfortunate, it is hard not to welcome Dave Bautista with open arms. The former WWE star has already established himself as a talented actor in multiple big-budget projects. By playing Kratos on the small screen, he is all set to take on one of his most physically demanding and emotionally heavy roles of all time.

Dave Bautista Is The Same Height As Kratos In God of War 2018 & God of War Ragnarök

In God of War 1, 2, and 3, the Greek version of Kratos is incredibly tall, standing at a towering height of 7 feet 8 inches (via Gnomon). However, the upcoming Prime Video series is primarily focusing on the relatively more grounded Norse saga from God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök.

The two games that Prime Video is adapting reduce Kratos’ height to 6 feet 4 inches to make him match the real-life motion capture/voice actor Christopher Judge. Even his interactions with other gods and characters in the games’ lore feel more grounded with the height drop.

Interestingly, even though Dave Bautista was billed to be 6 feet 6 inches in WWE (via The Smackdown Hotel), his actual height is around 6’4″. He is roughly around the same height as Kratos in God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök, which makes him ideal for the part.

How Dave Bautista’s Casting Compares To Ryan Hurst’s In Prime Video’s God Of War

Sons of Anarchy star, Ryan Hurst, reportedly stands at 6 feet 5 inches. Owing to this, in terms of physicality, even Hurst was perfectly cast for the part. Hurst has also displayed quite an acting range in shows like Abandons and Sons of Anarchy and even voiced Thor in God of War Ragnarök.

Ryan Hurst’s history with the game franchise felt like an interesting piece of trivia that would have gotten the perfect pay off in the Prime Video series. Given how Thor is portrayed in a more antagonistic light in the games, it would have been fun to see how Hurst would have portrayed the protagonist, Kratos. However, as fate would have it, Dave Bautista has replaced him.

Since the show is still in the early stages of production, Ryan Hurst could hop onboard in the future to play another character in its future arcs. Many other characters in the games are incredibly tall, and Hurst would be a great casting choice to embody quite a few of them.

Kratos’ Height Is Big Deal, & Dave Bautista Seems Perfect For The God Of War Role

Prime Video’s God of War is being strategic and smart by adapting God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök. The two games are highly acclaimed because of how dense and poignant they feel from a narrative standpoint. They even put a lot of emphasis on Kratos’ relationship with his son, Atreus, which is one of the biggest reasons why Kratos’ height was reduced to 6 feet 4 inches.

The games’ creators did not want to portray Kratos as an overpowering god. Instead, they wanted him to look more human, especially when compared to other intimidating figures like Thor and Tyr. Even alongside Atreus, who is 5’7″, it would not have made sense to have an overly huge Kratos who is more than 7 feet tall.

Here’s a breakdown of all the main characters’ heights in God of War‘s Norse saga:

Kratos is also more of an underdog in the two games. He faces impossible odds against near-invincible characters like Thor and Tyr. At the same time, though, since Kratos is also the son of Zeus, he cannot be too short or anywhere near the average human height. Owing to this, 6 feet 4 inches is the perfect height for him, making Bautista perfect for the role.

God Of War Gives Bautista His Biggest Franchise Role Since The MCU

Dave Bautista is no stranger to portraying physically imposing characters who have a lot of emotional depth. He played Drax in the MCU for almost a decade and perfectly captured everything from his silly humor to profound vulnerability and grief. He even made a brief appearance in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 and stole the show with his deeply melancholic performance.

With each new role, Bautista’s acting chops have only improved, and he is starting to establish himself as one of the most natural and talented actors of our time. With God of War, he now has another massive franchise under his belt.

Considering the lore that drives Kratos’ tragic journey in God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök, the Prime Video show will also seemingly give him the opportunity to put his acting range on full display. If he plays the God of War part well, Dave Bautista will further cement himself as one of Hollywood’s most versatile action stars.