Casting for the live-action God of War show is in full swing, as just moments after announcing the actor for Thor, Amazon and Sony have confirmed that Mandy Patinkin will play his father, Odin.
It’s another major addition to the cast of the next Prime Video video game adaptation, confirming that many of the series’ biggest roles have now been filled. Patinkin joins Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, as well as Ryan Hurst as Kratos.
Odin is the ruler of Asgard and one of the most recognizable names in Norse mythology. While only his ravens played a part in God of War (2018), the All-Father had a prominent role in its sequel, God of War Ragnarok. The game sees both he and his God of Thunder son serving as the primary antagonists threatening Kratos and his son, Atreus, though it’s unclear how large his role will be in the live-action show.
“Odin, the All-Father, is not physically imposing or particularly god-like: but looks can be deceiving,” an official decsription for the character says. “He is the most powerful Aesir god, a patriarch who leads with an iron fist, and an unrivaled seeker of knowledge. When it comes to seeking out prophecy, Odin is paranoid, manipulative, and dangerous— he will do anything to try and prevent Ragnarök, the Norse end of days. He serves as a formidable antagonist to Kratos.”
Those who have played the game will note that Patinkin already kind of looks the part, but it’s probably his nearly 50-year career in acting that helped him secure his spot as Odin. More recently, viewers may have caught him in shows like The Artist, Death and Other Details, Criminal Minds, and Homeland. Movie likely know him best as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, with some of his other roles seeing him show up in 1990’s Dick Tracy and 2017’s Wonder.
The God of War show has now locked in the cast for Kratos, Thor, and Odin, securing three of the biggest players in Ragnarok and the franchise as a whole. Other names confirmed to appear in the live-action video game series are Max Parker as Heimdall and Teresa Palmer as Sif.
With actors for characters like Atreus, Freya, and Mimir still not confirmed, it will likely be some time before we learn the release date for the God of War show. We’re excited to see what comes of the next Prime Video adaptation, but if it wants to work, we think it’ll need to come up with a new approach to violence.
Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/FilmMagic.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
