Netflix absolutely crushed it in adapting The Witcher for television. But a huge, huge reason why they crushed it so hard is that it was Henry Cavill's dream role, and he was absolutely perfect for the part. But it's still gotten people thinking about why God of War should be the next video game saga to be adapted for the silver screen. Much like The Witcher, adapting God of War will come down to getting the perfect actor to play Kratos, as that's what God of War is. It's Kratos. Even more than The Witcher is Geralt of Rivia.

With that in mind, certain things are needed—obviously the physique. But the beard and bald head combo are vital as well. Kratos is not Kratos without that fierce salt-and-pepper beard and bald head. Of course, he also never smiles. Which might be harder to swing. Whatever the case, here are ten actors who could kill the role.

Updated November 8th, 2022 by Stephen Barker: The God of War series has been in development hell for a while, with some iteration of the adaptation having been in the works since 2005. However, a God of War series is now officially in development at Amazon Prime Video. The streaming service rarely tightens the purse strings and has been dedicated to bringing great series to the platform. So fans of the video game franchise can have faith that it'll finally be adapted and that it'll follow the source material closely. But that also reopens the debate as to who will play the iconic Kratos.

Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård has often been cast for his brawn, starting with when he played the titular character in 2016's The Northman. There are a lot of parallels between God of War and the 2022 Viking movie, as both are steeped in mythology and both have the theme of revenge.

Skarsgård portrayed that desperation for revenge better than almost anyone in a mythic revenge tale since Robert Eggers should direct God of War. His unique style and use of digital effects, as well as creating shots that look like paintings, could turn the video game adaptation into a masterpiece.

Idris Elba

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a great example of how Elba can put so much theatricality into small lines of dialogue.

Nobody would deliver "boy" in a more menacing but humorous way than Elba. And he brings such intensity to every one of his roles, whether it's as the villain in The Wire.

Dakota Beavers

Dakota Beavers has only had one major movie role, and that was as Taabe in the recently released Prey. The period-set movie was a surprisingly stripped-back return to form for the horror series, and Beavers was one of the movie's stand-out actors.

Beavers perfectly portrayed a hunter in the wilderness, and he was totally believable as a warrior with impeccable survival instincts. While he might need to be put on the MCU workout plans to get into that Kratos physique, there's no denying that he already has what it takes to play the God of War.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is well-known for disappearing into his roles. Whether it's John Lennon or a monster-hunting soldier, audiences forget they're watching an actor while he's on screen. So while it might be hard to imagine the man who plays Tangerine in Bullet Train as Kratos, it may be much easier once the world sees him as Kraven the Hunter in the Sony movie.

The actor is extremely agile and the simple expressions on his face are more telling than any of his characters' dialogue. And with a shaved head, Taylor-Johnson would disappear into the role of Kratos.

Dominic Purcell

Probably the guy who looks most like Kratos, just factor in the beard. Dominic Purcell has the demeanor, the build, all of it. He could be Kratos tomorrow if he just sprouted that beard. Purcell's most popular role was as Lincoln Burrows on Prison Break, a character that didn't allow for much emotional range, but the actor still had to portray a sense of dread and regret while Lincoln was on death row.

Though the character is so stoic, just like Kratos, the actor managed to get viewers to empathize with him in a way that few others could.

Dwayne Johnson

Even if he might not be the best candidate for the role, Dwayne Johnson is probably at the top of Amazon Prime Video's list of potential Kratos actors. Obviously, he has the bald head and build down, and the actor could likely grow a great beard too. And while Johnson is cast in so many movies, with the current success of Black Adam, it doesn't seem like audiences will suffer from Johnson fatigue any time soon.

Kratos has a subdued, serious personality, and the Rock has never been subdued a day in his life. He's an expressive actor, no matter the part, and that wouldn't translate well to traditional Kratos. However, Black Adam proved that Johnson can dial back the charisma and wrestling persona when he needs to, and the actor is overdue his "serious" movie.

Gerard Butler

The original (Hollywood) Greek warrior, Gerard Butler's Leonidas from 300 made him an immediate action hero with a penchant for mythological and historical roles. He's got the beard, and he's got the build, but the big question is if he could play a subdued character like Kratos, who never smiles or shows much emotion whatsoever.

Gerard Butler is probably the safest bet of the lot, but that doesn't necessarily make him the best. He'd get the job done, but having already made Leonidas iconic, playing Kratos might remind audiences too much of 300. And while it might be one of the best Zack Snyder movies, the digital effects haven't aged that well, so the comparison certainly wouldn't be welcomed by Amazon.

Chris Hemsworth

There shouldn't be any doubts that Chris Hemsworth could pull off playing the God of War. All the physical traits and the acting ability are all there. The big concern with him is from a lore standpoint, as Hemsworth plays Thor, and it's almost impossible to separate the two.

That makes it a little dicey to let him also depict Kratos, who has more than his fair share of run-ins with Thor and Thor's family throughout God of War 4. Obviously, these are two separate universes, but purists out there would not take kindly to Hemsworth essentially double-dipping as the hero and the villain. However, as movie franchises are becoming increasingly meta, it'll make for a few inevitable jokes about trading roles.

Christopher Judge

Having done such an excellent job as the voice of Kratos in God of War 4, Christopher Judge at least deserves to be considered to play the live-action role. He's got the build down and with a beard, he could pull off a convincing Kratos, not to mention his very gravelly is part of what makes Kratos so iconic in the first place.

The big question is if Judge has the acting ability to pull it off. He hasn't had that one defining role yet, though he was pretty excellent as Teal'c in Stargate SG-1. Most of his work outside of that has been voice acting, but that doesn't mean that Kratos can't be a breakthrough for him. It's hard to imagine anyone having a stronger connection to the role than him.

Tom Hardy

Just as is the case with Dwayne Johnson, Tom Hardy is seemingly considered for every major role in Hollywood. But more than any other character, when it comes to Kratos, Hardy ticks off all the boxes. The build, the beard, the bald head, and the demeanor too. He's got an impressive acting resume that would make just about any role within his realm of possibility.

Despite being surprisingly short, Has has played Bane, one of the most imposing characters in cinema, and it isn't all that difficult to manipulate his height while filming. Whether it's in The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy's roles are almost always terrifying and commanding villains and God of War would fit perfectly in his filmography.