Amazon’s long-gestating God of War show has arguably become one of the most discussed entries on the schedule of upcoming video game adaptations. The show hit a major setback earlier this year after lead actor Ryan Hurst was injured amid filming. Now, the show is restarting production, with Dave Bautista taking over for Hurst in the role of Kratos. Bautista has really been committing to the part and even gained 20 pounds of muscle to play it. To put it simply, the man looks jacked, and there’s a video that proves just that. Those who’ve played the GoW video games are surely aware that Kratos – a deadly Spartan warrior – is a physically imposing character. So anyone who takes on the role would truly need to commit to gaining muscle. Considering the commitment Bautista has shown when playing roles of the years, it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s all in on training for Kratos. The fan-favorite actor recently took to his Instagram story to share a video of himself from the gym and make note of his 20-pound gain. DiscussingFilm also shared the clip to X:Dave Bautista reveals he has gained 20 more pounds of muscle for playing Kratos in ‘GOD OF WAR’.He has now reached 250 pounds. https://t.co/fUOr0P7EABNovember 1, 2026Man, those arms and pecs are serious! The Blade Runner 2049 star looks so swole, and it’s immediately clear to see that he’ll be able to manage the physicality of his God of War role. It goes without saying that Bautista is no stranger to training for roles, though, as this is the same man who worked to get super jacked to play Drax the Destroyer from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His level of work is well known, and it was even a motivating factor for Jason Momoa (his The Wrecking Crew co-star). What’s particularly interesting about all this is that it comes just a few years after Bautista’s comments on a pivot of sorts in his career. The A-lister previously talked about taking a step away from action-related fare due to no longer being “the great, big, muscular guy [he] used to be.” Said comments also coincided with a point at which the My Spy star began to slim down a bit from his typically ripped physique. While Bautista opined that he wouldn’t get acting roles into his 50s, God of War has proven the 57-year-old star wrong on that front. Of course, the fact that Dave Bautista landed the role of Kratos following an unfortunate set of circumstances should be ignored as well. It was in January 2026 that Ryan Hurst was announced to be playing the role and, in February, Prime Video released the first still of him as the character. In July 2026, it was reported that Hurst – who put on 40 pounds of muscle for the job – tore his biceps while filming a stunt and that due to the length of his predicted recovery time, his role would have to be recast. The Dune alum’s casting was announced in August 2026 and many expressed excitement over Bautista playing Kratos. The show is set to focus on Kratos and his son, Atreus (Callum Vinson) as they seek to spread the ashes of Faye, their wife and mother in a specific spot within the nine realms. It’s been reported that filming either has restarted or will ramp up again in the coming days. Four episodes were reportedly shot before Hurst’s exit, and they’ll have to be completely redone due to Vinson having aged a bit.While it’s still early, it’s already been confirmed that GoW is getting a second season as well. If the show proves to be a success, this could end up being another role that Dave Bautista plays for an extended period of time. That’ll certainly be some serious work for him, especially given what’s required for a show of this magnitude. However, if Bautista’s workout video conveys anything, it’s that he has some serious drive and can continue to deliver as an actor from a physicality standpoint. A release window has yet to be announced for God of War, so fans will want to keep their eyes peeled on that. In the meantime, anyone who wants to stream the show when it finally arrives should grab a Prime Video subscription.