God of War Actor Blasts The Last of Us Series and Other Video Game Adaptations and Fans Agree

Video game adaptations have become a dominant force in film and television, yet despite their growing popularity and occasional commercial triumphs, many productions continue to struggle with meeting fan expectations. As such, a God of War star behind Kratos has made it clear that he is far from impressed with the current direction of these projects.

That actor is Christopher Judge, renowned for his portrayal of Kratos in the most recent installments of Santa Monica Studio’s games. During a recent fan convention, Judge did not hold back and criticized the live-action The Last of Us and other videogame adaptations.

Christopher Judge Takes Aim at The Last of Us and God of War Series

A clear pattern has emerged among successful videogame adaptations: a deep respect for the original material. In many cases, key members of the original development team have joined these projects, though that is not always the case.

Appearing as a featured guest at Fan Expo, Judge used his panel to speak candidly about his growing frustration with studios that routinely overlook the very actors and writers who shaped the franchises they seek to adapt.

Citing the critically acclaimed The Last of Us series starring Bella Ramsey and soon Kaitlyn Dever, Judge acknowledged his admiration for Pedro Pascal’s performance but openly questioned why the original voice cast was not given leading roles.

“The Last of Us — love Pedro [Pascal]— were they better than the game cast? I saw a stage reading that they did. It was unreal. I have no idea why you don’t take that cast,” he said.

To be fair, original stars Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson did make cameo appearances in the first season, and game director Neil Druckmann served as an active producer and directed a few episodes.

He then turned his attention to Amazon’s upcoming God of War adaptation, taking aim at the studio’s decision to exclude the writers who spent years crafting the PlayStation saga.

“When Amazon [announced the God of War TV series] and they didn’t hire any of the God of War writers... what are you thinking? These guys have been immersed in this world for 20 years. But someone’s going to know better?” he said.

The response from fans was overwhelmingly supportive. In the comment sections accompanying clips of his speech, one user wrote, “Finally someone said it!” while another added, “I think Hollywood has an arrogance problem. They rarely involve the original creators and often stray from the plot that made the games and books great.”

Turbulent Times for Live-Action God of War Series

Judge’s broader frustration is due to the tendency to ignore the very creatives who helped build the multimillion-dollar franchises being adapted.

“My problem with all game adaptations [is] you have this pre-existing, successful property, and the first thing you do is not hire anyone associated with it,” he said.

As for the God of War series itself, the project is currently being led by Ronald D. Moore as writer, executive producer, and showrunner, with Cory Barlog of Santa Monica Studio also attached alongside Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, and Asad Qizilbash.

Yet the production has encountered significant setbacks, including the loss of its intended lead, Ryan Hurst, who sustained a serious injury during filming. His replacement has yet to be announced, though speculation points to Dave Bautista as the most likely candidate.

Additionally, reports indicate that Callum Vinson, originally cast as Atreus, and Island Austin, chosen for the role of Thrud, have also been let go from the project. Producers have yet to reveal anything about new additions to the cast.

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