Christopher Judge, the voice and performance-capture actor behind Kratos in the recent God of War games, has criticized Hollywood’s approach to video game adaptations.
Speaking during a FanExpo panel, Judge argued that studios should involve the writers and other creative talent responsible for building the original games, particularly when an adaptation remains closely tied to the source material.
His comments directly addressed Amazon’s upcoming God of War television series. Judge questioned why the writers who helped establish the franchise’s characters and mythology were not brought into the show’s writing process, pointing to their decades of experience with the property.
Christopher Judge questions Amazon’s approach to God of War
Judge said he finds it difficult to understand why successful game adaptations would exclude the people who originally created their stories.
“My problem with all game adaptations [is] you have this pre-existing, successful property, and the first thing you do is not hire anyone associated with it,”
Judge said.
He specifically questioned Amazon’s decision regarding God of War, noting that the franchise’s writers have spent roughly 20 years developing its world.
“These guys have been immersed in this world for 20 years. But someone’s going to know better?” he added.
Judge contrasted this with HBO’s The Last of Us, where game creator Neil Druckmann played a significant role in adapting the franchise for television. While God of War creator Cory Barlog is an executive producer on Amazon’s series, his precise level of creative involvement remains unclear.
Judge’s criticism comes while Amazon’s God of War adaptation is undergoing its own production changes. Filming was reportedly halted after Ryan Hurst, who had been cast as Kratos, suffered a serious injury while performing a stunt.
The production subsequently moved toward recasting the role, with Dave Bautista reportedly entering talks to play Kratos. Filming is expected to resume in fall 2026.
Despite fan interest in Judge taking over the live-action role, the actor does not currently appear set to replace Hurst. Judge, meanwhile, is expected to continue portraying Kratos in upcoming God of War projects.
