Amazon’s God of War series continues to take shape. The hit video game series is next up on the streamer’s docket after two (with one final episode to go) popular seasons of another video game adaptation, Fallout. We don’t know a ton about the show, but we do have some details, and that includes the recent announcement that one iconic actor is playing one of the most significant characters in the series.
Mandy Patinkin to Play Odin in God of War
The God of War series is still a ways off, but video game fans can rejoice. The cast is beginning to really take shape. Odin, one of the most prominent antagonists in the series, is going to be played by Mandy Patinkin. Best known for his work on Criminal Minds and in The Princess Bride as Inigo Montoya, Patinkin hasn’t been in as many projects recently.
He’s had roles in plenty of things, but the last time he was really a major character in something was in Homeland, which ran from 2011-2020. Now, he gets to provide his take on one of the most iconic characters in history.
Not only is Odin significant to the games, but he’s also a major Norse god. Everyone knows Odin, whether it’s from Norse mythology, the MCU (played by the legendary Anthony Hopkins), or the video game franchise. Now, Patinkin joins the pantheon of portrayals.
Recently, several characters have been given their actors as the series marches on in pre-production. The cast also includes Teresa Palmer, who is taking on the role of Phoebe/Sif. She is Thor’s wife and the goddess of family. Max Parker is playing Heimdall, the Watchman of Asgard and one of Odin’s sons. Severance star Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will be Thor.
Kratos will be played by Ryan Hurst, who is best known for playing Thor in God of War: Ragnarok. There’s always a debate about leaving the mo-cap or voice actors out when a game is adapted. While Hurst isn’t reprising his role, he is involved, and he’s more involved than, say, Troy Baker’s cameo in The Last of Us Season 1.
As of now, those are the only cast members. They have by and large left the voice actors and mo-cap performers behind for the adaptation, which can be a good thing. If they were all doing their characters again, it might not be different from the games. If they’re adapting but not copying, this is a fine decision.
Plus, it’s not as if any of them are stunt castings or celebrity castings. Patinkin isn’t Chris Pratt, and Hurst isn’t Tom Holland. These aren’t big-name celebrities designed only to drive audience engagement and bring star power to the project.
We know Amazon has a two-season order for the show. We also know that they’re planning to start with the Norse games rather than the Greek originals. It remains to be seen if the Greek games will play a role, although Kratos’ origin probably can’t be skipped. And since many of the initial casting announcements are about characters from Ragnarok, it begs the question of how they’re going to balance the two games.
The path that makes the most sense is to adapt God of War in Season 1 and then Ragnarok in Season 2, but since Odin is a figure in Ragnarok and only mentioned and never seen in the first game, it brings up an interesting potential path.
Conclusion
Right now, precious little is known about the God of War series. It’s coming from Frederick E.O. Toye, who has done some work on Fallout. Matthew Graham, Ronald D. Moore, and David Jaffe are credited as writers. Otherwise, we’re all still waiting for big information.
