{"id":"1793617540468-culture-segment","slug":"bautista-bulks-up-for-god-of-war","title":"Bautista bulks up for God of War","summary":"Dave Bautista posted on Instagram that he gained 20 lbs for God of War and now weighs about 250. He signed on in August to play Kratos in Prime Video's series. He replaced Ryan Hurst, who was first cast and was injured on set.","publishedAt":"2026-11-02T11:05:40.468Z","channel":{"id":"culture","name":"Oncast Music","language":"en"},"show":"Morning Brief","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Dave Bautista posted on Instagram that he gained 20 lbs for God of War and now weighs about 250. He signed on in August to play Kratos in Prime Video's series. He replaced Ryan Hurst, who was first cast and was injured on set.\nSource: Yahoo Entertainment NAMES: Kratos = the lead character of the God of War games. Prime Video = Amazon's streaming service. Ryan Hurst = the actor originally cast (https://x.com/IGN/status/2117199040655814691)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Dave Bautista posted on Instagram that he gained 20 lbs for God of War and now weighs about 250. He signed on in August to play Kratos in Prime Video's series. He replaced Ryan Hurst, who was first cast and was injured on set.","sourceName":"Yahoo Entertainment NAMES: Kratos = the lead character of the God of War games. Prime Video = Amazon's streaming service. Ryan Hurst = the actor originally cast","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/IGN/status/2117199040655814691","claim":"Dave Bautista reveals he's gained 20 pounds of muscle to play Kratos in the God of War series. https://t.co/5C9S5p2DIk https://t.co/t4EvDc6Nkj","author":"@IGN"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/IGN/status/2117199040655814691","name":"Yahoo Entertainment NAMES: Kratos = the lead character of the God of War games. Prime Video = Amazon's streaming service. Ryan Hurst = the actor originally cast","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@IGN"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793617540468-culture-segment-bautista-bulks-up-for-god-of-war","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/culture","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1793617540468-culture-segment-bautista-bulks-up-for-god-of-war","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1793617540468-culture-segment-bautista-bulks-up-for-god-of-war and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Claudette","text":"Good morning, it's Monday. Dave Bautista just made the God of War casting even more obvious."},{"host":"Laura","text":"IGN posted that Bautista says he gained twenty pounds of muscle to play Kratos."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Twenty pounds of muscle on a guy built like a tank—that is a serious commitment."},{"host":"Laura","text":"He put it on Instagram. He says he's around two-fifty now."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"He signed on in August for Amazon's Prime Video series."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Right, replacing Ryan Hurst, who was originally cast but got injured on set."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"The show is based on the PlayStation games, so this is a really physical role."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Kratos is a Spartan demigod with a very complicated relationship to anger."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"The look is perfect, but can he carry that emotional weight?"},{"host":"Laura","text":"He's shown real presence. Kratos is a father trying not to pass his anger down to his kid."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"That's why the casting could work. Bautista has that mix of intimidation and softness."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The costume department is still sweating, though."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Fair. Twenty pounds of muscle says he is not coasting."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Now from a god-killer to a spy. Variety posted Jack Lowden's response to those James Bond rumors."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"The man is playing it exactly right. He says the talk is flattering, but he is \"not really going to add to the noise.\""},{"host":"Laura","text":"No confirmation, no denial. The internet is going to read that as a yes."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"There is still no official announcement on who's next, but every long pause becomes a clue."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And every Scottish actor under fifty gets a trending hashtag."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"You already cast him, didn't you?"},{"host":"Laura","text":"I like a Scottish Bond. That's an opinion, not a casting call."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Sure. I saw you practicing the theme song in the mirror."},{"host":"Laura","text":"That was between me and the mirror."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Different world entirely. IGN reports the studio from Yakuza creator Toshiro Nagoshi has shut down before it could release a game."},{"host":"Laura","text":"That's rough. He built one of the most distinctive game series out there—known as Like a Dragon in Japan."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"We can't independently confirm the closure yet, but IGN says it happened before the studio shipped anything."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Honestly, a big-name studio going silent is worse than shipping a dud. At least a dud teaches you something."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"I don't know. Losing that creative voice before we even see the new idea feels like a real loss."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Maybe someone hands him a weapon and tells him to go full Kratos."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"A Monday morning where everyone becomes Kratos? I'd watch that."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And if you want an argument before the coffee kicks in, Billboard ranked every VMA Video of the Year winner."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Their critic's list is always an act of violence against somebody's childhood."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The rankings mix eras, so you're guaranteed to be mad."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"As long as \"Single Ladies\" is in the top three, we're fine."},{"host":"Laura","text":"I'd put \"This Is America\" above it, actually."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Oh, come on. That's a different era, a different kind of video."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Exactly. That's why ranking art is a trap."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Let's agree to disagree and move on."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Done. Happy Monday."}]}