Christopher Judge said he began physical preparation to play Kratos in Prime Video’s live‑action God of War series but later decided not to take the role. Speaking at Fan Expo Canada, he described workouts and line memorization, then said the difficulty of memorizing lines and concerns about the demanding schedule at age 62 led him to withdraw. He noted that the role would require 16‑18 hour days and constant dieting, which conflicted with his health priorities. Judge expressed support for Dave Bautista as the new lead and voiced concern about Bautista’s recent weight loss. He said Ryan Hurst’s initial casting was appropriate, but Hurst’s bicep injury in July and the decision to recast prompted the change. The series faced a setback when Hurst tore his bicep, leading Amazon to cast Bautista, a move that has drawn mixed initial reactions but improved fan sentiment after a newer photo of Hurst in Kratos makeup was released. Judge previously criticized the showrunners for not consulting the writers of the 2018 game, though he said he wants the adaptation to be great.