GOD OF WAR Star Dave Bautista Shows Off Ripped Kratos Physique After Just 3 Weeks of Training
Dave Bautista is getting into Kratos shape, and anyone worried that the actor might not have the imposing physique needed for Prime Video’s God of War can probably put those concerns to rest.
The actor has started hitting the weights again as he prepares to play the Ghost of Sparta, sharing a new look at his progress only three weeks into training. Judging by where he’s already at, Bautista appears well on his way to looking like he stepped straight out of the PlayStation franchise.
Bautista posted a video on Instagram showing off his increasingly muscular frame and revealed that he still has another couple of months before reaching his target.
"3rd week into weight training again," he captioned the video. "2 more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin a bike! LFG."
He then took off his shirt and showed exactly what those first three weeks of work have accomplished. The dude is already looking jacked, which should ease some of the concerns surrounding his casting.
The announcement that the Guardians of the Galaxy star would replace Ryan Hurst as Kratos was met with a largely positive response, though some fans questioned whether Bautista could still pull off the character's massive physical presence.
Bautista has slimmed down considerably since playing Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His recent transformation was intentional, allowing him to move away from being viewed primarily as the enormous action guy and pursue a wider range of acting roles.
In 2024, Bautista explained that his weight had climbed to around 315 pounds while preparing for Knock at the Cabin, and maintaining that kind of size wasn't something he wanted to continue doing.
"I started trimming down because I got really big for a role. Uncomfortably big. For Knock at the Cabin, I got really big. I was around 315 pounds. I put the weight on really fast, and I put on an uncomfortable amount of weight, and it took forever to shed it."
He also found that dropping weight helped him on screen, particularly when working opposite actors who weren't anywhere near his size.
"The more I trimmed down, the better I looked on camera and the better I looked next to other actors," he explained. "I’m still a large human being. At 6’4 and 240 pounds next to your typical actor, I look like a gorilla, and it’s distracting. I’ll probably lose a few more pounds. I’m just killing myself to be this trim. I’m training hard."
Now Bautista gets to reverse course a little. Playing Kratos gives him a pretty damn good reason to put some of that muscle back on, and his latest training video shows that his wrestling-era size isn't ancient history.
Hurst previously had the role of Kratos but was forced to leave God of War after suffering a bicep tear. There has also been speculation that the negative reaction to the first-look image of Hurst as Kratos may have factored into Amazon's decision to recast the character.
Bautista feels like a natural choice for Kratos. He has the physical presence, but more importantly, his work in projects such as Dune has shown how far he's come as a dramatic actor. Kratos needs considerably more than muscles and a giant axe, particularly for the version of the character this series is adapting.
Prime Video's God of War follows Kratos and his son Atreus on their journey to spread the ashes of Faye, their wife and mother. As they travel together, Kratos attempts to teach Atreus how to become a better god while his son pushes him toward becoming a better human.
The series already has a two-season order and features Callum Vinson as Atreus, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Teresa Palmer as Sif.
God of War is being co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions. Ronald D. Moore serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
The series had been expected to arrive on Prime Video in 2027, though the change in lead actor could potentially push its premiere into 2028.