Actor Dave Bautista has been cast in the lead role of the upcoming God of War TV show.

The ex-WWE star will play Kratos in the adaptation of the PlayStation video game series, after Ryan Hurst was forced to quit the part due to injury.

Bautista, who had been rumoured to be in line to take the part for weeks, confirmed the casting by posting an image of the character to his Instagram account.

According to Deadline, which first reported the news, external, filming will restart from scratch when it begins later this year.

God of War has become one of Sony’s most popular series since the first game was released on PlayStation 2 in 2005.

Its setting and story, inspired by ancient Greek mythology, along with its brutal combat, made it an instant hit with fans.

Many have stuck with main character Kratos, a demi-god who becomes a god, through an ongoing story of revenge and redemption.

The first official images of the God of War TV show, featuring Hurst, were released earlier this year and showed the character with his son Atreus – first introduced in 2018’s God of War.

The PlayStation 4 reboot of the series shifted it towards a focus on Norse mythology.

According to Prime Video, the series will mirror the game’s story, which sees Kratos, accompanied by Atreus, set out on a journey to spread the ashes of his wife.

“Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human,” the streamer said.

Bautista, 57, has built a successful acting career since retiring from professional wrestling in 2019.

His most high-profile role has been intergalactic warrior Drax, who has appeared in six of the comic book-inspired Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

Bautista also appeared in 2021’s Dune and its 2024 sequel, James Bond film Spectre, Army of the Dead and Knives Out detective thriller Glass Onion.

His professional wrestling career spanned two decades, and he became one of the most well-known WWE superstars during this time.

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