Missing out on the role of Kratos in the God of War video game adaptation hasn’t stopped one towering Reacher actor from pursuing another role in the fantasy franchise. Instead of dwelling on the setback, he has set his sights on a different Norse god and has already asked his representatives to make his interest known.
Olivier Richters lost the Kratos role to Dave Bautista, wants Tyr now
Olivier Richters, best known for playing Paulie in Reacher, revealed to IGN that he came close to landing the role of Kratos in Prime Video’s God of War series. The actor made it through two callbacks and “got high up the chain” before the production ultimately chose Dave Bautista for the part.
While Richters praised Bautista as a strong fit for the role, he admitted that he would have loved to play the iconic Spartan warrior had the Guardians of the Galaxy star not been in the running.
Street Fighter star Olivier Richters got candid about auditioning for Kratos in the God of War show: https://t.co/Yrd4F6JQtA
— IGN (@IGN) October 15, 2026
Richters, however, doesn’t believe Kratos is the role best suited to him. Instead, the actor has his sights set on Tyr, the Norse god of war, and revealed that his agent has already informed the production team of his interest in playing the character.
“If I’m really honest, I think there’s one character that suits me better, and that’s Tyr.” Richters admitted that he doesn’t know whether Tyr will appear in the first or second season of the adaptation.
Dave Bautista landed the lead role in Prime Video’s God of War adaptation after an injury reportedly forced the production to reconsider its original casting choice. Ryan Hurst, who was initially cast as Kratos, reportedly tore his biceps while performing a stunt on set. Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM subsequently approached Bautista to take over the role (via Deadline).
The adaptation has also assembled a star-studded cast featuring several familiar figures from Norse mythology. Teresa Palmer will portray Sif, while Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will play Thor and Max Parker will appear as Heimdall.
Ed Skrein takes on the role of Baldur, Mandy Patinkin will portray Odin, and Callum Vinson will play Atreus. Fans of the video games will also recognize Alastair Duncan, who returns as Mimir after voicing the character in the original titles.
