God of War Ragnarok has just recently released and the withdrawal is already setting in. Who knows when we can expect a new entry into the franchise, especially with how little direct teases there are of what a future entry might bring. Many believe we’re about to visit another pantheon, though the question remains if our Greek former God of War will remain the series’ sole focus. There are a lot of questions, but one thing is for certain: we have a live-action series in some form of production heading our way at some point in the future.
In early 2021, we had our own theories on how they could simply retell the original God of War trilogy with the many subplots from the spinoffs sprinkled throughout. An official announcement wouldn’t follow until March of 2022, where it was revealed that Amazon has been eyeing the chance to adapt the franchise themselves. We haven’t heard anything on the project since, not even news on if they might already be pitching for a showrunner to tackle the adaptation based on Santa Monica Studio’sgaming series.
While we continue our wait for any hint at God of War‘s future, it’s the perfect time to revisit what may have been.Going down the rabbit hole of Cory Balrog‘s initial pitch of potentially setting the story in Egypt with Kratos stumbling upon a boy that he’d start building a connection with. Eventually, they would go with Norse mythology and scrapped the original plans. Atreus would end up becoming his actual son and Santa Monica offered a heartwarming storyline about coming to grips with one being more than the sum of your mistakes.
While we may visit Egypt in the next God of War game, it sparked the idea that this unexplored story would be perfect for the live-action adaptation.While many would want to explore Kratos’ journey starting in Greece, there’s something interesting about exploring what may have been through a new adaptation. Not only would it help the live-action series stand out from what came before, but it could even be a way to focus on Kratos’ most interesting story arc without simply retracing the same ground as the 2018 game did.
Kratos was quite a one-note yet badass character in the original Greek Saga. So, he may not be as enthralling as a main character by just going on his usual revenge-filled path. Yet, using a new setting with an ash-covered stranger may open the door to catching an audience that has no idea what God of War actually is. Most adaptations are dependent on making changes to adapt to the new medium while also easing in viewers to pre-existing stories.
Exploring Kratos’ exhausting travels and desperate of leaving his mistakes in Greece creates a curious mystery for new viewers. Sprinkled as flashbacks throughout the series’ run, we see what exactly transpired between the Ghost of Sparta and the Greek pantheon. While players might know the exact events, it creates an interesting mystery for newbies of the franchise. We also get a more human element in him trying to build a connection with the boy he found lost in the desert’s sands.
Their journey forces them to survive in a location that barely gives them resources, putting the former god in a position where even he needs time to truly embrace his former strength. The young boy has no idea who the stranger is that found him, but sees his best chance of survival alongside the man with the red tattoos. Even as they have their disagreements, once the Egyptian pantheon catches on that a God Killer has entered their realm and they won’t just rest to let him do whatever he wants.
Unlike the Norse Saga, they don’t have a pre-existing bond as father and child, which means that there’s even more distrust to whoever the stranger might be and what his intentions are. Perhaps they may build upon a similar twist of the first games’ Loki reveal with the kid having a connection to the pantheon. Perhaps a young exiled god that was hoping to find his purpose but one mistake led to him alone in the desert.
Little did Kratos know, he may have a fellow God of War by his side as the young boy reveals to be named Montu. At least he has that role in the original mythology and given Kratos’ arrival he ends up pushed into a new direction. The franchise’s modern interpretations have focused on discovering the meaning of war and its many facets. Plus, it would end up as a fun twist on the title being not only about the man that arrived in the deserts but also the fate of the boy from the dune’s of godhood.
Of course, whoever may end up getting the chance to develop a series based on God of War will likely stick to its Greek origins as it gives them the chance to explore Kratos at his peak. Any adaptation similar to the game will get a lot of eyes on it, especially with how impressive the set pieces were. Yet, there’s something so special about the modern take that offers a strong emotional core. Plus, just retreading old ground seems like a waste if you have someone like Kratos that can travel from one pantheon to the next by just repeating what the games have already done.
