Christopher Judge, who has voiced Kratos across two acclaimed “God of War” video games, is criticizing Amazon’s live-action adaptation of the franchise for leaving out the writers who built the story he has spent years bringing to life, along with similar complaints about HBO’s “The Last of Us.”
Judge’s comments first surfaced from a FanExpo Denver panel in May, resurfacing this week after FanExpo posted clips online. He followed up Thursday with a post on X clarifying his position after the remarks drew wider attention. “I truly hope they find someone as great as Ryan,” Judge wrote, referring to Ryan Hurst, the actor originally cast as Kratos before a production injury led Amazon to pursue a recast, with Dave Bautista now reportedly in talks for the role.
Judge added that his frustration centers on the games’ writers and developers rather than casting, saying he wants them to “get the love and respect they deserve,” and noted he holds no ill will toward television writers, citing his years on “Stargate.”
At the panel, Judge questioned why studios rarely hire anyone connected to the source material once a game franchise gets greenlit for adaptation. He pointed to “The Last of Us” as an example, saying he admires Pedro Pascal and the rest of that cast but argued a stage reading performed by the original game actors in New York outperformed the show, particularly given how closely some episodes mirror the game scene for scene. He raised similar objections about “God of War,” noting that none of the games’ writers were brought onto the Amazon series despite their having spent roughly two decades shaping the franchise.
Judge said the criticism has nothing to do with his own casting prospects. At 62, he said he has no interest in the physical demands of playing a live-action Kratos and does not want a cameo that might distract from the show.
Amazon’s “God of War” series has “For All Mankind” creator Ronald D. Moore attached as showrunner and writer, with Cory Barlog, Yumi Yang and Jeff Ketcham serving as producers through Santa Monica Studio, the games’ original developer. Only actor Alastair Duncan, who voices Mimir, is returning from the games’ cast.
On “The Last of Us,” original game creator Neil Druckmann co-wrote and directed the show’s first two seasons before stepping back ahead of Season 3, while Jeffrey Wright and Merle Dandridge are the only game actors to reprise their roles. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
