Christopher Judge will no longer voice a young Kratos in God Of War
God of War series first debuted on PlayStation 2 back in 2005 but recently experienced an enormous revival following its soft reboot this year.
God of War (2018) is widely considered one of the finest PlayStation titles ever released, setting an impressive new standard with its cinematic storytelling and eye-catching visual presentation. Additionally, Christopher Judge made his voice acting debut as Kratos.
Terrance C. Carson’s performance of Kratos long before Christopher Judge joined was unforgettable and contributed heavily to making him such an iconic character, not to mention all of Santa Monica Studio’s developmental efforts!
God of War series prior to 2018 offered an altogether distinct gameplay experience. While modern entries utilize an over-the-shoulder camera perspective, Carson-focused entries placed more focus on hack-and-slash mechanics while offering more fixed camera views. Even so, one of those involved with creating God of War believes modern Kratos has gone soft over time.
Santa Monica Studio recently unveiled the free Valhalla story DLC for God of War Ragnarok and left itself open for at least one more entry following Norse-themed entry God of War Ragnarok, leaving fans hoping Kratos will take up Christianity or Jesus, with some speculation suggesting ancient Egyptian or Aztec times might feature as Kratos heads off on his adventure despite already receiving one remake (God of War III was recently given one remaster release in 2015). There has even been discussion as to whether original trilogy might receive modernized remake despite God of War III having received one back then (remaster release by Santa Monica Studio in 2015), though none has materialised yet; some fans hope Kratos may take on Christianity while others expect him to encounter Christianity while others speculate whether Kratos will take on Jesus whilst other theories suggest Ancient Egyptian or Aztec times may see Kratos take part in any further adventures (although already having done one with God of War III in 2015 already receiving its modernised edition already in 2015 already being one). There has also been speculation on possible modernised editions of all three God of War III being given such treatment already with its modernization being upgraded in 2015.
Christopher Judge has said if God of War were ever to receive a remake or remaster, as reported by The Gamer, that he’d decline voicing Kratos out of respect for Terrance Carson (Taro in God of War trilogy). While speaking on Steamily livestream he even speculated he may already done so!
“Because TC was so great in earlier [God of War games], I never watched any scenes or tried to mimic his voice as that would be unfair and unnecessary – nor were any requests ever made of me for doing it”, according to Judge. From day one it has always been about finding his own unique style within God of War’s universe.
Judge also revealed that he turned down an offer by Santa Monica Studio for a similar role “not too long ago”, although we do not know whether this role referred to scenes intended for modern-day God of War or any potential remakes/remasters/reboots/remasters of said game.
“They wanted me to do some voice-alike of Carson, and I said ‘Absolutely not!’ that would be such an insult,” Judge said. “Nobody celebrates what individuals bring individually – no matter the field; so to try and co-opt something someone else already established would just be wrong in terms of respectability and professionalism.
At this moment, it’s difficult to predict what the future holds for God of War series fans; one thing’s certain, however – they shouldn’t forget Kratos! God of War (2018) and Ragnarok are now available on PC and PlayStation while its sequel releases for PS5 and PS4.
