New God of War Actor Continues A Weirdly Specific Casting Trend

Amazon’s upcoming God of War series is shaping up to have quite the impressive cast. Expected to adapt the most recent games focused on Norse mythology and Kratos' son, Atreus, the series should prove to have quite a large following when it premieres in 2027.

While we were recently shown the first live-action God of War image of Kratos and Atreus, there have also been several casting announcements for the wide cast of characters and Norse gods. Furthermore, one of the recent additions to God of War's cast stands out for a weirdly specific (yet pretty fun) reason.

Amazon's God of War Series Already Has An Impressive Cast

Currently in production, Amazon Video's God of War series already boasts a strong lineup of talent that suggests serious investment in getting the show's tone right and aligned with the beloved games. First, we have Kratos himself who will be played by actor Ryan Hurst (who voiced Thor in the games), while Atreus will be played by Callum Vinson.

Beyond Kratos and Atreus as the show's leading father-son duo, we also know that Odin will be played by none other than Mandy Patinkin, while Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will be playing Thor.

Additionally, Max Parker will be playing Heimdall, Teresa Palmer as Lady Sif, as well as Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as the dwarven brothers Brok and Sindri. Louis Cunningham and Ben Chapple are set to play Thor's sons, Magni and Modi. We also know that Alastair Duncan will be returning from the games to reprise his role as the head of Mimir (which is very exciting).

However, the casting announcement that really caught my eye was the news that Ed Skrein has joined God of War's cast as Baldur, son of Odin and brother of Thor.

Ed Skrein Is Playing Baldur (Which Is Basically Deadpool's Ajax)

In 2018's God of War, Baldur is one of the most unsettling Norse rivals Kratos and Atreus face in their first game.

Rather than being depicted as a blessing, the games portray Baldur as cursed by his mother Freya, having become nearly immortal at the cost of being unable to feel any sensations of pain or pleasure. Baldur can't feel anything, driving him to intense rage while serving as one of Odin's best enforcers.

Coincidentally, this sounds exactly like one of Ed Skrein's most high-profile roles as Francis/Ajax from 2016's Deadpool. While he couldn't regrow limbs like Baldur, Ajax similarly couldn't feel anything either, the result of various experiments that enhanced his physical abilities. Ajax was similarly cold and detached with no remorse as well.

Overall, it's definitely an odd parallel with Skrein now being cast in such a similar role nearly a decade later, stepping into another role built around a similar characterization and powerset. That said, I'm very excited to see Skrein's portrayal of Baldur all the same, as the Norse foe is far more unhinged compared to Ajax.

One has to wonder whether Skrein's performance as Ajax played at least some part in landing him the role of Baldur. After all, his portrayal as the Deadpool villain very much proved that he can embody an antagonist detached from physical consequences.

If you’re looking for someone to convincingly play a near-immortal warrior who can’t feel pain, why not call the guy who’s already done it before? Keeping that in mind, it's going to be fascinating to see how Skein's Baldur compares to his previous Marvel role, and vice versa.

God of War is expected to begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video in 2027.