Ed Skrein Joins God of War as Baldur, Set to Clash With Ryan Hurst’s Kratos on Prime Video
Rebel Moon and Jurassic World: Rebirth alum Ed Skrein will unleash the merciless son of Odin, Baldur, going toe-to-toe with Ryan Hurst’s Kratos in Prime Video’s upcoming God of War series.
The God of War machine is not slowing down. After teasing a trilogy remake and dropping the Sons of Sparta spinoff game, the live-action series at Prime Video just added a major player: Ed Skrein will throw down as Baldur opposite Ryan Hurst’s Kratos.
Baldur, the problem child
Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios confirmed Skrein (Deadpool, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, Jurassic World: Rebirth) for the role. If you know the 2018 game, you know why that matters. Baldur is Odin’s youngest son and the last guy you want knocking on your door.
"Baldur may be the youngest son of Odin, but he’s his father’s most dangerous weapon."
In this take, he’s charismatic, volatile, and brutally funny when he wants to be. He was cursed as a kid to feel nothing—no pain, no pleasure—so he compensates with a mean streak a mile wide and a bare-knuckle brawling style that hits like a runaway ox. More than anything, he’s searching for a fight that can finally cut through the numbness.
The show: scope, setting, and where we’re at
Prime Video’s series adapts PlayStation’s myth-busting blockbuster and already has a two-season order. Pre-production is underway in Vancouver. The story centers on Kratos and his son Atreus making a promise-run to scatter the ashes of Faye—wife and mother—while Kratos tries to shape a better god and Atreus tries to shape a better man. Expect grief, rage, and a lot of mid-journey father-son recalibration.
Why Baldur is a big swing
The 2018 relaunch wastes zero time introducing him. Jeremy Davies (Twister, The Black Phone) played Baldur there, and his first throwdown with Kratos is a statement of purpose—how the combat feels, how personal the stakes are, and how far Kratos is from being done with divine baggage. Baldur dogs the journey for most of the game while Kratos wrestles with a history stained by, well, murdering gods. Skrein stepping into that dynamic is a bold move and, honestly, a smart one—he does sleek menace like it’s a day job.
Cast check and who’s calling the shots
- Ryan Hurst as Kratos
- Ed Skrein as Baldur
- Callum Vinson as Atreus
- Max Parker as Heimdall
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor
- Teresa Palmer as Sif
- Alastair Duncan as Mimir
- Jeff Gulka as Sindri
- Danny Woodburn as Brok
- Mandy Patinkin as Odin
Frederick E.O. Toye (Shogun, The Boys, Fallout) is directing the first two episodes, which sets a pretty confident tone right out of the gate.
Bottom line
This is a sturdy lineup, a meaty antagonist, and a platform that clearly believes in the show (two seasons, sight unseen). If the series can bottle the games’ balance of tender parenting panic and bone-rattling myth-splatter, we’re in business. For now, Skrein vs. Hurst sounds like the right kind of trouble.