God of War Is Bigger Than Ever—But Where Did Kratos Go?

Amazon's God of War show just took a real step forward: it has quietly moved into pre-production in Vancouver, casting is underway, and the first two episodes have a director. Good news. Slightly more complicated news: it sounds like the series is jumping straight into the Norse era with Kratos and Atreus, which is great for accessibility... and risky if you actually care why this guy is the way he is.

What we know right now

• Pre-production has started in Vancouver, and casting has officially begun.
• The team is searching for actors to play Kratos and his son, Atreus, which locks the show into the Norse timeline.
• Emmy-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye has signed on to helm the first two episodes.
• Going Norse means audiences will likely see familiar names like Odin and Thor, but it also suggests the series might sidestep Kratos's Greek saga, which is the part that forged him.

Why the Norse start makes sense... and why it might backfire

From a production and tone perspective, starting in the Norse era is a layup. That chapter is about fatherhood, second chances, and a fresh mythological backdrop. Those themes play big with a broad audience, and Kratos-plus-Atreus is an easy elevator pitch.

The problem: without the Greek chapter, you are missing the spine of the character. Kratos did not just wake up one day as a stoic dad in Midgard. He was a Spartan whose desperation made him vulnerable to Ares, and that manipulation led him to massacre an entire village — including his own family. The grief and rage from that moment created the Ghost of Sparta, who then tore through the Greek pantheon on a single-minded path of vengeance. That history is the weight he carries into the Norse story. It is why his restraint matters. It is why he fears what his son could become. Strip that away and you are left with vibes, not stakes.

Kratos and Atreus only work if the past is present

The modern games reframe Kratos as a father, protector, and reluctant mentor, but the emotional core is still the same guy trying not to repeat his worst day. The Norse arc is literally about him and Atreus figuring out who they are in Midgard while dragging all that baggage behind them. If the show wants that to land for newcomers, it needs to bring the Greek scars into the room.

What the series should do

There are painless ways to give viewers the full picture without derailing the Norse storyline:

Flashbacks that actually matter. References that do more than wink. Even a compact prequel stretch that walks through the Ares pact, the village, the ashes, and the long road of revenge. Not to pad lore, but to honor the origin instead of just surfing the most recent Santa Monica storyline because it is the sleek one.

The bottom line

Starting in the Norse era is fine. Forgetting Greece is not. If this adaptation wants to feel like God of War and not just a cool-lookin fantasy show, it has to remember where Kratos came from. Do you want the series to weave in his Greek past, or would you rather it stay laser-focused on the Norse arc? Tell me where you land.