Kratos Voice Actor Secretly Quit When Ragnarok Was Announced
While there's plenty of hype for God of War: Ragnarok, it could've been a very different story when Santa Monica Studio's sequel nearly lost its leading star - twice. Don't worry though, Christopher Judge will be back to round off Kratos' Norse story in Ragnarok.
The early God of War games cast Terrence C. Carson as the Ghost of Sparta, however, it was all-change for 2018's reboot. Christopher Judge picked up Leviathan Axe to chart a new era of the story - with the Stargate SG-1 actor putting his own spin on the role. Even if incoming Director Eric Willaims managed to lure Judge back, the voice actor had his reservations.
Why did Christopher Judge 'quit' God of War?
Click to enlargeHeading back to 2018's God of War, long-term GoW animator and writer Cory Barlog stepped up to direct. It's no secret that the soft reboot is held as one of the defining games of the 21st Century, meaning there's been a lot of love for Barlog's work. According to Judge himself, it was Barlog's departure that led to him also parting ways with Kratos.
Posting on Twitter, Judge explained that when Barlog said he wouldn't return to direct Ragnarok, he quit on the spot. Thankfully, Barlog promised that Williams would be a suitable replacement. Trusting his former mentor, Judge agreed to return. Jump to 2021 and Judge has a lot of love for Williams, with him even describing the Ragnarok Director as a "motherf****n beast".
Judge has dropped a lot of Ragnarok news on Twitter, but this wasn't the only story from behind the scenes that left us feeling wholesome.
Why was God of War delayed?
Although the writing was already on the wall and some fans rightly clocked Ragnarok could be delayed until 2022, that didn't make it any easier when SSM officially shifted the game's release day. With staff facing abuse, disgruntled gamers needed someone to point the finger at.
Barlog originally said he should be the one to bear the brunt of the rage, but apparently, Judge blames himself. Again posting on Twitter, Judge said he needed surgery on his back, his knees, and how he had both hips replaced. In a heart-warming twist, the team waited for Judge to fully recover before moving ahead.
As Judge praised the SSM team for their patience, Barlog posted a heart-warming response that confirmed the lead actor's rehabilitation did play a part in Ragnarok's ongoing delay. It's clear there's a sense of comradery between those behind God of War's magic, which goes hand in hand with the franchise's own family values.
Whether this is Judge's last time voicing Kratos, and whether the bearded brute could really be put out to pasture remains to be seen. Either way, God of War: Ragnarok looks like it'll wipe the floor with the rest of next year's big games.