Amazon's God Of War Series Is Doomed To Erase The Past
It's been a long time coming, but finally, we can hear the gruff grumblings of Kratos in the distance. As Amazon reportedly moves forward with plans for a live-action God of War series, the Ghost of Sparta can pick up the Blades of Chaos and slash his way into a whole new medium.
The move is seemingly perfectly timed with the God of War Ragnarok's impending release - which we will know will round off Kratos' stint in Norse mythology. This leads us neatly onto where and when Amazon should set a God of War series. The scorched plains of Ancient Greece or the snowy climes of Midgard?
For anyone who's ever picked up a PlayStation controller (or more recently, a mouse) to play a God of War game, you'll know it's split into two distinct eras. The original trilogy ran from 2005 to 2010, with Ascension serving as Kratos' origin story in 2013. Jump forward to 2018, where Sony Santa Monica delivered a soft reboot, a new mythology, and the introduction of his son, Atreus.
Where Should The God Of War Story Take Place?
Click to enlargeUnfortunately, SSM has backed itself into a corner. While there's a lot of love for Kratos' days besting the gods and monsters of Ancient Greece, it's arguably his recent run of games that have helped catapult him into the mainstream. 2018's God of War is considered the best game of all time by some, and there are equally high hopes for Ragnarok.
A money-hungry Amazon would pick up straight with the death of Kratos' wife from 2018's game. Much like HBO's The Last of Us promises that the leads will play off each other thanks to a dynamic between Ellie and Joel, it would be easy to sell a father and son trudge through the snow, with a hard-faced Kratos slowly warming to Atreus as the series progresses. Then again, that erases a lot of the past.
You don't go through four main games (and umpteen spin-offs) without creating a lot of lore. To completely disregard Kratos' Greek days would be a major middle finger to fans of the franchise. The title God of War will be able to lure in newcomers just on the name alone, but let's not forget a massive proportion of those tuning in will be die-hard gamers who've been with Kratos for the past 17 years.
Casting Kratos
Whichever actor is stepping up to the plate to play the bald brute, it's sure to be the hottest ticket in town. Look at the hype Henry Cavill generated with The Witcher and how all eyes are on Pascal for The Last of Us. These high-profile castings prove that literally anyone could be Kratos, and while we've got our own choices, we guess it will be a similarly A-list megastar.
Depending on which era you set God of War in will also ultimately decide whether you go with Jason Momoa or Gerard Butler. There's not a massive age gap between any of the big names being thrown around at the moment, but a decade can make all the difference.
Even though there will be those that say "it's just an actor", whoever gets to pick up the Blades of Chaos or Leviathan Axe could literally be make or break for God of War. There's also the out-there idea of going with an unknown as Amazon has done with the budget-blowing Lord of the Rings, which is a gamble itself. Imagine the posters and the pull of "Amazon's God of War series starring Tom Hardy" and you'll know why we need a superstar.
Our Greek Days Are Numbered
Click to enlargeWe're calling it now, Amazon will dive straight to modern Kratos simply because it's an easier route. Not that there's anything wrong with the young and hot-headed Kratos from the early days, but as time has gone on, it's clear the writers have understood how to craft a more complicated character. Even if God of War (2018) Kratos is infinitely more interesting than his previous iteration, that doesn't mean we should just ignore his Greek mythos.
Also, look at all the similar shows we have out right now. It's a tenuous link to connect them, but on paper, an amalgamation of The Witcher, Game of Thrones, and Vikings would effectively be a Norse mythology God of War. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but remembering how great/underappreciated Starz's Spartacus was, imagine what Amazon could do with this kind of setting.
Amazon is only said to be in the first stages of developing God of War, so anything could happen. There could be a compromise if a God of War series took a leaf out of Lost's book and flipped between the past and present, but then again, we all know how confusing and annoying flashbacks can become. If the streaming giant was really clever, it would have two God of War outings - one for each mythology.
None of this really matters, and in today's cutthroat world of cancellations and development hell, we're still a long way off any God of War series. A lot could change in terms of casting, story arc, and release date. For all we know, Amazon's series could be based on a mythical Ragnarok sequel where Atreus continues his father's legacy in Chinese mythology. Either way, we're hoping Amazon and Sony remember where Kratos came from all those years ago.
