Dave Bautista Hits 250 Pounds for God of War

A 2019 file photo, not the 250-pound look. Photo by Daniel Benavides, cropped (CC BY)

The Lowdown

Dave Bautista is putting the size back on. In a new Instagram story, the actor said he has gained 20 pounds for God of War and flashed a 250 on the scale, the latest check-in on his transformation into Kratos for Prime Video (Variety).

Key Takeaways

Bautista’s Instagram story read “Gained 20 lbs for GOW” with a “250” sticker, and he wore a God of War T-shirt in the clip (Variety).
He took over the role of Kratos in August after Ryan Hurst, the original pick, tore his bicep doing a stunt (Variety).
His last update came in early September, when he said he was three weeks into weight training with two months to go (Deadline).
Prime Video has ordered two seasons, which are set to shoot back to back (Variety).

Dave Bautista reveals he has gained 20 more pounds of muscle for playing Kratos in ‘GOD OF WAR’.

He has now reached 250 pounds. pic.twitter.com/fUOr0P7EAB
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) November 1, 2026

Bautista’s Instagram story, via DiscussingFilm on X · November 1, 2026

The Story

The post is the second public progress report since Bautista landed the part. In September he shared a shirtless photo and wrote that he was “3rd week in to weight training again,” adding that he had two more months to get where he needed to be (Deadline). Deadline noted he has also let his beard grow out, a must for anyone playing the famously bearded Spartan (Deadline).

View this post on Instagram

Dave Bautista on Instagram · September 2, 2026

The bulk-up is a reversal. Bautista went past 300 pounds for M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin, then dropped about 75 pounds through diet and jiu-jitsu. In a 2024 interview with Chris Van Vliet he admitted he “probably overdid it” when he got that big, and said he had made peace with losing muscle because he felt more comfortable (Deadline). For comparison, WWE listed his ring weight at 290 pounds, and he competed in mixed martial arts at 265 (Deadline).

A recast and a restart

Hurst was cast first, but he injured his arm during a stunt in June, about four months into the shoot, and the surgery he needed would have pushed production into 2027 (Deadline) (Variety). Prime Video replaced him, and the scenes he had filmed will be redone with Bautista (Variety).

The series adapts the two most recent games, in which Kratos and his son Atreus set out to scatter the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, while clashing with the gods of Norse myth. Callum Vinson plays Atreus (Variety). Mandy Patinkin is playing Odin, with Ed Skrein as Baldur, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor and Max Parker as Heimdall (Deadline).

The Background

Sony Santa Monica’s 2018 God of War moved Kratos from Greek mythology to the Norse realms and introduced Atreus, and its 2022 sequel, God of War Ragnarök, continued their story (Wikipedia). Bautista’s upcoming films include Road House 2 and the Highlander reboot (Variety).