November 4, 2026, 6:59 pm | Read time: 3 minutes

“God of War” – Kratos

“Kratos” is the name of the main character from “God of War.” In the video games, he is extremely muscular. After all, he is a demigod from Sparta, whose body is shaped by a life full of battles and physical labor. Clearly, a suitable acting counterpart is needed.

Originally, the choice fell on Ryan Hurst. The 50-year-old former “Sons of Anarchy” star was set to take on the role of “Kratos” in the series adaptation of the successful video game “God of War.” But after tearing his bicep during a stunt, a replacement was needed. The chosen one to now embody the Spartan demigod is none other than Dave Bautista.¹ Clearly a fantastic fit, considering how muscular Bautista appeared in the Marvel films, especially “Guardians of the Galaxy,” in “Army of the Dead,” or as a wrestler in the WWE.

But as we reported at FITBOOK, Bautista recently deliberately distanced himself from being a muscle mountain. For his role in the 2023 film “Knock at the Cabin,” Bautista initially increased his weight to over 300 pounds. However, this was followed by a weight loss phase. By the end of 2024, he lost about 75 pounds. He also “sacrificed a lot of muscle,” as Bautista himself said on the podcast “Insight with Chris Van Vliet.” “In hindsight, I probably overdid it,” he admitted. The good thing: He felt more comfortable with less mass. Instead of strength training, Bautista’s training focus shifted to more cycling, boxing, and grappling.

Grappling is a term from martial arts that encompasses all close-combat and wrestling techniques where no hitting or kicking is involved.

Also interesting: Former SEK member Dominik Lehr: “Grappling is like human chess”

Dave Bautista – the transformation for “God of War”

After his significant weight loss in 2024, Bautista said, according to “Men’s Health,” that he hadn’t been that slim since he was 19. On November 2, Bautista gave the long-awaited insights into his renewed physical transformation in his Instagram story. Posing in a “God of War” T-shirt, he appeared noticeably more muscular and broader. Enthusiastically, Bautista also announced in the form of an Instagram story, according to “People“: “Gained 20 lbs for ‘God of War.'” He added a GIF with the number “250,” apparently a reference to his current weight. 250 pounds is approximately 113 kilograms. The story also stated “Gained 20 lbs,” which translates to: “gained about 9.1 kilograms.”

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The physical transformation back to the old Bautista has apparently been underway since August. On September 3, Bautista posted a contribution showcasing his muscles. He wrote: “Third week back in strength training. Two more months until I’m where I need to be. It’s like riding a bike! Let’s go!” This suggests that Bautista is now roughly in the shape he wanted to achieve for his role as “Kratos.” At least from a physical standpoint, there should be nothing standing in the way of filming.