Olivier Richters wants to play Tyr in Prime Video’s God of War series
Olivier Richters told IGN he wants to play Tyr in Prime Video’s live-action God of War series and said he previously auditioned for Kratos.
The Dutch actor also said he previously auditioned for Kratos, made it through two callbacks, and that Dave Bautista was ultimately chosen for the role.
Richters says Tyr is a better fit for his height and build than Kratos, and says his agent has already passed that wish along to the production.
What happened
IGN spoke with Olivier Richters on the red carpet for the film Street Fighter. In that conversation, the actor, also known as The Dutch Giant, said he would like to play Tyr in Prime Video’s live-action God of War series. Richters tied that wish directly to his physical appearance, saying Tyr fits his height and build better than Kratos.
Richters also said he had previously auditioned for Kratos. According to his own account, he got quite far in the process: he received two callbacks, but the role eventually went to Dave Bautista. Richters said he has a lot of respect for Bautista and thinks he was a good choice. In the context cited by IGN, that casting history is not independently confirmed, but is presented as Richters’ own description of the process.
The actor also said Tyr is a better fit for him than Kratos. He added that his agent has already passed along his wish to play Tyr to the production. IGN also points to an Instagram post from February in which Richters wrote that, at 7'2" (2.18 meters), he may be too tall for Kratos and that his real dream was to play Týr. In the material provided, that post is referenced, but the exact date and year of the Instagram update are not confirmed.
Richters is also described in the IGN piece as being more than 7 feet tall and weighing more than 350 pounds. That matches his public profile as a bodybuilder and actor, and helps explain why he believes Tyr is a more natural role for him than Kratos. At the same time, the provided information does not make clear whether Prime Video has officially cast Tyr, and Kratos’ casting is also not officially confirmed in the material provided.
Timeline
February, year not specified: Richters posts on Instagram that at 7'2" (2.18 m) he may be too tall for Kratos and would rather play Týr.
Unknown date: Richters says he auditioned for Kratos and got two callbacks.
Unknown date: Richters tells IGN that Dave Bautista was ultimately chosen for Kratos, according to his account.
Unknown date: Richters says he wants to play Tyr in Prime Video’s live-action God of War series.
Unknown date: IGN publishes the interview with Richters from the Street Fighter red carpet.
Unknown date: Richters says his agent has already raised his wish to play Tyr with the production.
Background
God of War is a PlayStation franchise centered on Kratos and, in its Norse storyline, Tyr. Prime Video is working on a live-action series, but the provided sources do not confirm that Tyr has been officially cast. Kratos’ casting is also not officially confirmed in the provided material.
The information about Dave Bautista comes from Richters’ own description of his audition process, not from a Prime Video casting announcement. That means it remains unclear whether Bautista was actually announced by the studio as Kratos, or whether Richters is referring to an earlier or internal casting stage. The available sources do say Richters received two callbacks, which suggests he got deep into the process.
The reference to Richters’ Instagram post matters because he had already publicly said that his 7'2" (2.18 m) frame might be too tall for Kratos. In the same reference, IGN notes that his real dream was to play Týr. His latest comments in the Street Fighter interview therefore line up with an earlier online wish. The provided information also says Richters weighs more than 350 pounds, which further explains his typecasting in roles like these.
For now, that means Richters is clearly positioning himself for Tyr, while the official casting status of both Tyr and Kratos remains open in the available sources. There is a clear wish from the actor and a described audition history, but no confirmed Prime Video announcement in the material provided.
Sources
IGN interview with Olivier Richters about the live-action God of War series.
IGN reference to a February Instagram post from Richters about his height and the role of Týr.