Dave Bautista Shows Off 20-Pound Gain for Kratos in God of War Series

Dave Bautista has shared proof of his new physique. On his Instagram story, he posted a video with the words "Gained 20 lbs for GOW" and a "250" sticker showing his current weight of 250 pounds. Variety reported the post on 2 November 2026.

The actor is preparing to play Kratos, the warrior at the centre of Prime Video's God of War series. He wore a God of War T-shirt in the clip. The series is Amazon's streaming adaptation of the video game franchise, and Kratos is its lead character.

Bautista signed on in August to take over the role from Ryan Hurst. Hurst tore his bicep on the set in June. Surgery to repair it would have pushed production into 2027, Variety reported, and the production has since moved forward with Bautista in the part. He is known for his roles in Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Filming began in Vancouver in February. The production will reshoot every scene that featured Hurst, this time with Bautista in the role. Callum Vinson plays Atreus, Kratos's ten-year-old son.

Prime Video has given the series a two-season order, meaning the streamer has committed to two seasons. The two seasons are set to shoot back-to-back, one after the other, without a long gap between them.

Bautista's training has been on show before. In early September, he shared a video of himself flexing in the gym. At that point he said he was three weeks into a weight training programme and had two more months to reach where he needed to be for the role, Variety reported.

For the crew, the reshoots and the back-to-back seasons mean a long stretch of work. Hundreds of people are needed for a production of this size, from the cast and writers to the crews behind the cameras. Each new set of scenes and each new season keeps them working.

The weight gain is now public, and the reshoots are under way. Viewers will have to wait for a release date, which has not been announced.