God of War Creator David Jaffe Blasts Amazon's Live-Action Kratos Reveal

The highly anticipated live-action adaptation of God of War for Amazon Prime Video recently dropped its first official image, featuring Ryan Hurst as the iconic Spartan warrior Kratos and Callum Vinson as his son Atreus.

The photo, set in a misty forest, shows the duo in a hunting pose, with Atreus aiming a bow and Kratos standing watchfully beside him. However, the reveal has sparked controversy, drawing sharp criticism from none other than David Jaffe, the original creator of the God of War series.

Jaffe, who directed the first two games in the franchise back in 2005 and 2007, took to his YouTube channel to unleash a nearly seven-minute rant on the image. He didn't hold back, calling the photo "so bad in so many ways" and questioning why this particular shot was chosen for the big reveal. "Could you find a picture that doesn't look like he's shitting in the woods? Cause that's what the picture looks like," Jaffe quipped in his video.

Delving deeper, Jaffe criticized Kratos' pose and expression, saying, "Kratos in this pose with this expression, not the guy's face, but this expression, he just looks stupid." He also took aim at Atreus, noting that the young actor appears "like he's kind of a very confused little boy with way too much product in his hair." But perhaps his harshest jab was reserved for a background element: a rock that he described as looking like "styrofoam" from a hobby store, calling it "the most offensive thing about this entire image." Jaffe expressed bewilderment over the decision-making process, suggesting that whoever approved the image should be "on some kind of list" and not allowed on planes.

The backlash isn't limited to Jaffe. Online reactions have been mixed, with some fans speculating that the image might be AI-generated or resembling cheap cosplay. Others have pointed out that Hurst doesn't appear as muscular as the game's version of Kratos, and Vinson seems too young for Atreus. Even Hurst himself added to the intrigue by posting on social media: "Don't believe everything you see on the internet kids," which only fueled more speculation about the image's authenticity.

On X (formerly Twitter), users echoed similar sentiments. One post highlighted Jaffe's comments, noting his frustration with the promotional choice. Despite the criticism, Jaffe acknowledged that the series could still turn out well, given the involvement of talented creators like Ronald D. Moore and Cory Barlog.

Production is underway, but no release date has been announced yet. While this first look has stirred debate, it remains to be seen if the full series can win over skeptics.