Christopher Judge explains why he turned down Kratos in God of War series

Christopher Judge said he was initially open to playing Kratos in Amazon's God of War series, but stepped away after preparing for the role. The actor had auditioned, started getting physically ready, and realized the demands of a major TV lead were not something he wanted to take on at 62.

Judge said the preparation itself made the decision clearer. He was training, adding muscle, and learning lines, but noticed that memorizing text was getting harder during the process. In his words, his mind and body were basically telling him not to do it.

The actor pointed back to his Stargate years as the reason that schedule no longer appealed to him. He said production could mean 16-18-hour days, constant dieting, and training, and that he was no longer willing to live that way again.

Judge also addressed the casting that followed. Ryan Hurst was first assigned to play Kratos, but left the project after a biceps injury, and Dave Bautista eventually replaced him. Judge said Bautista was a great choice and hoped the extra muscle would not affect his health.

The God of War series still does not have a premiere date.

Did Judge make the right call by walking away from Kratos after the demanding preparation?