Amazon’s live-action God of War series adaptation has added another Aesir to its ranks, with Deadpool villain actor Ed Skrein joining its cast as the invulnerable god Baldur.
As reported by Variety, Skrein’s Baldur will appear alongside series leads Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus, with the Aesir ranks currently rounded off by Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, and Teresa Palmer as Sif. Additionally, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka will also star as brothers Brok and Sindri.
First seen in 2018’s God of War, Baldur, also known as the Stranger, is the son of Odin and Freya and the game’s main antagonist. Baldur’s fate was closely intertwined with the prophecy of Ragnarök, a world-ending series of events in Norse mythology, with his death foretold as the starting point of Fimbulwinter, Ragnarök’s first cataclysmic event. Due to this, his mother, Freya, casts a powerful enchantment to render him immune to all threats, but this ultimately drives him insane as, apart from giving him invulnerability, it also leaves him unable to feel anything.
“Baldur may be the youngest son of Odin, but he’s his father’s most dangerous weapon. Charismatic, unpredictable and armed with a razor-sharp tongue, Baldur lives by his own rules,” reads Amazon’s official description of the character. “As a boy, Baldur was cursed; this curse denied him the ability to feel pleasure and physical sensation. This fuels an insatiable anger and bloodlust in Baldur, who favours a brawling fighting style that blends his immense power with the raw impact of his fists. Above all else, he longs for an opponent that can truly match his prowess in battle. An opponent that can finally make him feel something.”
Skrein is no stranger to taking on villainous roles, with the 42-year-old actor best known for portraying Francis/Ajax in 2016’s Deadpool, as well as Atticus Noble in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon (2023) and Zapan in 2019’s Alita: Battle Angel.
The God of War series will adapt the storyline of the two most recent games by Santa Monica Studios, and follows Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. The show will be helmed by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) and has received a two-season order, with director Frederick E.O. Toye (Shōgun, Fallout) helming its first two episodes.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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