Amazon Prime’s God of War TV series is on the way. But what can we expect to see in the upcoming video game adaptation?
While some video game fans might shudder at the mere mention of a live-action video game adaptation, recent shows and films have proved that it doesn’t have to be all terrible.
Shows like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and both Sonic the Hedgehog movies are clear examples that, at the very least, some video game adaptations are finally delivering precisely the things that fans want from this kind of project. Also, thanks to the Halo TV show, now we know what fans don’t want to see in live-action video game adaptations.
This May, Sony confirmed that a God of War TV series was a reality, set to be released on Amazon Prime Video. Though the details are still scarce, this follows Sony’s latest push to bring some of its franchises to live-action. First, it was Uncharted, and, pretty soon, The Last of Us will get its own TV show.
Let’s analyze everything we know so far about Amazon Prime’s God of War and also discuss a bit of what we want to see in this epic TV series!
The Basics
As I mentioned before, the details are still a bit sparse about the new God of War TV series. While it has been confirmed that the show is going to happen, precious little has been revealed about the creative team or the cast at the helm of the production.
Some reports indicate that the creators of The Expanse, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, will be the showrunners. On the other hand, the name of The Wheel of Time‘s Rafe Judkins seems to also be on the cards for the project. With no official word from either Sony or Amazon, these names are mere speculation, though.
Another piece of news that’s sadly also speculation is the show’s release date. Considering that Amazon Prime Video is currently preoccupied with The Rings of Power – not to mention the financial blow that the show has been for the streaming platform – I wouldn’t expect to see the show arriving on Prime Video any sooner than late 2023.
Who Will Be Kratos in Amazon Prime’s God of War TV Series?
That’s the big question, isn’t it? Unlike Joel from The Last of Us – a character designed as the definition of “everyman” – Kratos is a larger-than-life, extremely imposing character. What I mean is that not even Chris Pratt would be able to play him in the upcoming show.
Whoever lands Kratos’ role would have to be a man that’s at the top of his game on a physical level. There seems to be a good number of fans clamouring for Dave Bautista to become the god of war in Amazon’s adaptation. While the Drax actor would be great for the role on so many levels, at 53 years old, he might be just a tad too mature for the character at this point.
Another great pick for Kratos would be Jason Momoa. Physically speaking, Momoa would be the perfect choice for the role. Perhaps the only issue would be that he’d have to shave his hair – one of Momoa’s physical trademarks – to play the role. A few weeks back, however, the actor shaved almost all of his hair in an environmental protest; there’s still hope.
RELATED: Jason Momoa Was Born To Play Kratos In A Live-Action God of War Movie
The Setting
God of War fans will surely know the two prominent eras in the series canon. While newer fans will surely know of Kratos as a man who lives among the Norse myths and legends, long-time players will know him as the Ghost of Sparta in his quest for revenge against the Greek pantheon.
It almost goes without saying, but I believe a God of War show should begin with Kratos’ Greek days.
As popular as the Scandinavian setting might be, the fundamental idea of a live-action show would be to attract new fans to the franchise. It would be a bit disorienting to begin Kratos’s story after what was arguably the most significant moment of his life. Sure, the story of his revenge against the gods of Olympus could be told through flashbacks, but it simply wouldn’t have the same dramatic impact.
That said, as much as I’d love for the series to go back to Kratos’s Greek saga, from a marketing point of view, the show will most likely focus on his Norse exploits. After all, God of War: Ragnarok‘s release is just around the corner.
Production Values
If The Boys and The Terminal List are anything to go by, Amazon Prime Video can produce some of the most visually stunning TV shows in the streaming business. A God of War show would certainly have to be a visual tour de force, but it also would have to remain faithful to its source material.
Going back to the Halo Paramount+ show, the series featured some well-known weapons and armour from the games – but they weren’t treated with the respect that long-time fans expected. For instance, who could forget Master Chief taking his helmet off every two sentences?
Making a God of War show look good isn’t just about having decent amounts of blood and violence: it’s also about nailing the overall look and tone of the games. Again, God of War is an entirely different entity in the Greek and Norse settings, but, at the very least, having a Kratos that behaves like he should would be a step in the right direction for the series.
Original Story vs. Adaptation
This might be the most challenging decision when talking about a potential God of War series: should the producers adapt what is in the games, or should we get an entirely new story set in the same universe as the games?
While nothing will ever top the fever dream that was the Super Mario Bros. movie, it seems like many video game live-action adaptations go for a story that’s not told in the games. It happened recently with the Uncharted film, and it might happen again in the God of War series.
A new plot would mean that the Prime Video adaptation would be relatively safe from most unfavourable comparisons. If the show doesn’t look or feel like the games, is because it never wanted to.
However, that would be a double-edged sword. Sure, some fans might be excited about the possibility of the live-action show going in an entirely new direction for the series – but, at the same time, that would defy some of the conceptions we have of live-action adaptations as a whole.
Whatever the case might be, these are exciting times for PlayStation fans. With Sony’s efforts to bring some of its most popular franchises to the realm of live-action entertainment the gaming giant might soon become a force to be reckoned with in the world of mainstream TV entertainment. Let’s not forget that a Horizon series is also in the works, so Kratos and Joel will soon get even more company in this new venture.
Tell us, what do you hope to see in Amazon Prime’s God of War TV series?
