Dave Bautista is documenting his physical transformation as he prepares to play Kratos in Prime Video's upcoming God of War series. In his latest progress report, the actor said he has added 20 pounds and is now back at 250 pounds, while also growing out his beard to more closely resemble the character's substantial facial hair.
The build-up follows a period in which Bautista had deliberately slimmed down. He had gone over 300 pounds while preparing for a 2023 M. Night Shyamalan film, and later said he had taken the weight loss too far. "I started slimming down because I was uncomfortably big. Now looking back at it, I probably overdid it," he said on the podcast Insight with Chris Van Vliet in 2024, explaining that he had put on weight with pancakes and French fries. He told the same podcast that he lost 75 pounds through diet and jiu-jitsu training, adding: "I've sacrificed a lot of muscle. But I'm okay with it, because I just feel more comfortable." For reference, WWE lists the former wrestler's ring weight at 290 pounds, and he competed in mixed martial arts at 265.
His return to heavier training has been visible on social media. In early September he shared a shirtless update on Instagram, writing that he was three weeks into weight training again with two more months to reach his target, adding: "Like ridin a bike! LFG!"
Bautista stepped into the role after Ryan Hurst, who had originally been cast as Kratos, tore a bicep while performing a stunt. The injury occurred in June, four months into shooting. Filming was expected to resume in mid-October in Vancouver and start from scratch, with no footage from the original shoot to be used.
The series adapts the PlayStation video game and follows father and son Kratos (Bautista) and Atreus (Callum Vinson) as they journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Along the way, 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 cast also includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, Danny Woodburn as Brok, Sonya Walger as Freya, Island Austin as Thrud, Ben Chapple as Magni, Louis Cunningham as Modi and Evelyn Miller as Gna.
Sources: Deadline.