EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy, The Abandons) has been cast as Kratos in Prime Video’s God of War from Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios. Based on PlayStation’s ancient mythology-themed video game, the series received a two-season order, with pre-production underway in Vancouver, and casting has begun.

From writer, showrunner and executive producer Ronald D. Moore (Outlander, For All Mankind), God of War follows father and son, Kratos and Atreus, as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. 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.

Kratos, the titular character of the entire franchise, is Spartan by birth and a god by nature. Raised in a martial culture, he rose to command armies in the service of his homeland until one day he made a fateful deal with Ares, the Greek God of War, and lost his soul in exchange for being victorious in battle.

Over the course of 10 successful games, Kratos vanquished mortals, creatures, and gods alike. In the process, he became an iconic character in pop culture, known for his stoic nature, unchallenged combat skills, and tragic past.

In the live-action series, Kratos’s story will closely follow the path of the last two games as he deals with something new: his ten-year-old son, Atreus. This father-son dynamic began a whole new chapter in the legendary series and will be the heartbeat of the new show.

Ryan Hurst as KratosJustin Lubin/Sony/Amazon MGM

Hurst’s participation in the new TV series heralds his return to the “God of War” Universe, having previously played Thor in PlayStation’s God of War Ragnarök. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his performance.

God of War is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions. In addition to Moore, executive producers also include Maril Davis, Cory Barlog, Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, Asad Qizilbash, Jeff Ketcham, Hermen Hulst, Roy Lee, and Brad Van Arragon. Joe Menosky, Marc Bernardin, Tania Lotia, and Ben McGinnis co-executive produce on the series. Frederick E.O. Toye (Shōgun, The Boys) has signed on to direct the first two episodes of God of War.

Hurst is best known for playing the beloved character Opie Winston in FX’s hit motorcycle drama Sons of Anarchy, from Kurt Sutter. In a reunion with Sutter, he was a series lead in the recently released Netflix series, The Abandons, as Miles Alderton. Additional notable credits include many fan-favorite titles: AMC’s The Walking Dead, CBS’ SWAT, Disney+’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, Prime Video’s Bosch, and A&E’s Bates Motel. Up next, he will be seen in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Trojan War epic, The Odyssey, premiering July 17. Hurst is repped by UTA and Piper Kaniecki Marks Management.