Dave Bautista has been confirmed as the new Kratos in Amazon Prime Video's live-action adaptation of God of War, replacing Ryan Hurst after the actor suffered an injury during production.

Bautista will lead the television series based on Sony's popular PlayStation franchise after previously entering negotiations for the role, Variety reported.

Hurst, who was announced as Kratos in January, tore a bicep while performing a stunt during filming in June and subsequently underwent surgery. His expected recovery period would have prevented production from restarting on schedule, leading Amazon and Sony to recast the role.

Filming began in Vancouver in February and several episodes had already been shot before Hurst's departure. Scenes featuring Hurst are now expected to be reshot with Bautista, while production is due to restart following the casting change.

Prime Video has given God of War a two-season order, with plans for the seasons to be filmed back-to-back. The project has been in development for several years and is being produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television in association with PlayStation Productions.

The series follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they travel to scatter the ashes of Faye, Kratos's wife and Atreus's mother. Their journey places the pair among gods and creatures from Norse mythology while exploring the relationship between a father struggling with his past and a son learning about his own identity.

Callum Vinson plays Atreus, while the announced cast also includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor and Teresa Palmer as Sif.

Bautista, 57, first became widely known through his career as a professional wrestler with WWE before establishing himself as an actor. His major film roles include Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy films and Glossu Rabban in Denis Villeneuve's Dune films. He has also worked on several projects connected to Amazon MGM Studios.

The television adaptation is led by writer, executive producer and showrunner Ronald D Moore, while Emmy-winning director Frederick EO Toye was previously announced to direct the first two episodes.

No premiere date for the series has yet been announced.