Why Chris Judge Almost Turned Down Kratos

IGN interviews Chris Judge about his legacy regarding the God of War 2018 video game and the God of War Ragnarok video game franchise. The actor has won numerous awards for his portrayal of Kratos in God of War, and IGN’s Akeem Lawanson dives deep to find out what inspired Chris Judge to take on the role of the God of War. Ragnarok is not an easy task to pull off, but #GodofWarRagnarok managed to do it effortlessly. #GodofWar was an established franchise before Chris Judge stepped into the role, so we find out how Chris Judge put his very own unique and creative spin on the iconic character of Kratos.

[@uchgamerx]

His agent needs a raise, he almost turned down the best video game character portrayal of all time imo

[@Moleje1337]

He made this game for me seriously the gravitas of his voice the impact the chemistry was just perfect enough to bring tears to my eyes at the prospect that he might have turned it down.

[@intellect6450]

@@Moleje1337 .....

[@bch5513]

Seriously better than most if not all movies now a days

[@keithcole8536]

The best of time is open to opinion but devil may cry is up there

[@JoaoVitor-is4zb]

he is Arthur Morgan too?

[@bat_mobile7545]

Shout out to T.C Carson, he brought the Ghost of Sparta to life, Judge continues his legacy.

[@incerix2953]

Yeah he sounded great also.

[@HishamA.N_Comicbroe]

Fs. Dude is iconic as well too. They both work really well.

[@jaykisuke3397]

They never called T.C to reprise his role he didn't know he was being replaced

[@deang.5636]

@@jaykisuke3397yea that was dirty, he didn’t know about it till the rest of the public knew

[@barathrajan8152]

The real one tc Carson 🔥

[@TinoPlusUltra]

He honestly delivered arguably the best performance ever done in a video game role. Dude is an inspiration

[@Ghost-Face420]

Well Conroy as Batman is equally as iconic

[@batuhankaratas7066]

well then there is Roger Clark, who portrayed Arthur Morgan from RDR2

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

@@batuhankaratas7066Roger Clarke, Christopher Judge and Troy Baker are the top 3 for me when it comes to video game performances

[@shawnmclaughlin7418]

don't ever forget mark Hamill as the joker

[@brandonmcduff]

David Hayter, who did Solid snake in metal gear solid on psx to me

[@7heRequiem]

Idk why people dont interview Chris Judge more? He is always passionate about ins and outs of GOW, he likes to talk about it, like why don't people just interview him more, maybe a podcast?

[@michaelhooper6227]

Pod of war

[@joshjoshjoshjoshjoshjoshj]

Here we are and here it is

[@mentalshatter]

Well, he said it at the beginning of this interview, he's got a kid.

[@Boris82]

Roe Jogan

[@THaB4DGuY]

did you see him at the game awards? he kept rambling on for hours, still might be rambling on to this day! lmao

[@CarltonPhillupBanx]

Christopher Judge needs to portray Apocalypse in the MCU, he's an excellent actor.

[@lex_rodriguez]

Darkseid would be a better in my opinion 😶

[@CarltonPhillupBanx]

@@lex_rodriguez Nah, MCU Apocalypse.

[@montai1234]

@@CarltonPhillupBanx nah darkseid

[@CarltonPhillupBanx]

@@montai1234 He's better off as MCU Apocalypse, period.

[@jaimeduran9928]

He would kill it as Darkseid, a perfect match for injustice 3 or something better.

[@HeilielPrince]

Been a fan of Chris Judge since stargate sg1. 🙂He did an incredible job as Kratos.

[@tenthshadow3764]

Same

[@IFArakash]

Indeed!

[@TheVillainInGlasses]

Ditto.

[@Cncguru-wl9hn]

Indeed

[@patgarci]

Indeed...

[@janikarkkainen3904]

He forgot the part why the agent had to ruse and not tell him at first it was for a game: his friends (other actors and actressess) had him convinced that doing a game would be an actor graveyard. Thus, he had specifically said that he doesn't wanna go for games, at all, and thus the agent took a gamble, and still sent it to Judge without telling him it was for a game, until later when he was already a bit invested (and needed because it was starting to be actually relevant information)

[@martymarl4602]

Well she definitely deserves a raise

[@shadowsonicsilver6]

If it were true that Video Games are an actor’s graveyard, Steve Blum would not be as constantly booked for Video Games as he is today.

[@bushisback112]

Wish they kept that line from Kratos "run far away from me" hits deep

[@arturssudmalis5741]

Nah it sounds a bit goofy

[@why_tho_]

@@arturssudmalis5741 ikr

[@isheetfromaswhole3657]

​@@arturssudmalis5741yeah. The same with the scene when Atreus is playing with his toys.

[@Lilpat60]

It's a line that fits well with the tone of the old story line since his goal was chaos & vengeance. The new story line is about family & rebuilding what he has lost. They probably felt it was a bit cliché & contradicting since he's supposed to be with his son & protect him.

[@petrskalak5070]

Nah, its contra the story it tries to convey

[@smudgy264]

T.C. Carson was perfect as young, vengeful Kratos. Judge is perfect as a wisened, older Kratos.

[@olivierdube809]

Glad he took the role because it's one of the finest voice acting job in any media. He gave everything for this role. Respect!

[@gregordrizzlewing7339]

Probably gave him a perfect rebrand as well & now he’s known as Kratos more than anything 😂

[@GabePlaysYT]

His agent deserves A LOT of credit. Chris doesn't sound like he was either fond of voice-over or video-games. He needed to be coaxed a lot into accepting the role.

[@EggEnjoyer]

This is the case for most actors. Most actors look down on voice work and see it as lesser

[@RileyWritey]

​@@EggEnjoyer Which is utterly ridiculous. Acting is acting.

[@yiga4171]

@@RileyWriteymakes less money?

[@RileyWritey]

@@yiga4171 Depends on the project. Anime dubs yes, the Simpsons cast no.

[@tacibana88]

or it might actors they know not easy it is..because voice over character are not the same like old days..just voice..now will capture movement..so it would take time how it look..and take alots of shot over and over again

[@foxtrotlaw9455]

Kevin conroy as batman and judge as kratos are some of the iconic casting in history

[@cecil3602]

Two of my favourite people and characters of all time 💯

[@psychojay5700]

don't forgot henry cavil as superman 🔥

[@DarthKross]

Chris Judge and T.C Carson both

[@goat9295]

@@psychojay5700Christopher Reeve>>>

[@thevarietygamer1848]

Mark hamill as the joker too

[@coreyjames9560]

Fun fact, Terrance 'T.C' Carson wanted to initially be the motion capture for Kratos but Santa Monica Studios and Sony said that he wasn't tall enough. And that ended Carson's long time legacy as the Ghost of Sparta and thus began Chris Judge's legacy with his incredible voice.

[@EggEnjoyer]

Video killed the radio star

[@thegemguy1334]

Not tall and buff enough actually. Because the game used motion capture tech, the actor must have a similar physique as Kratos. Carson simply lack the physical size for the role.

[@shadowsonicsilver6]

They should bring TC Carson back for the Atreus Games.

[@BestAuntieEver]

That audition scene between Chris and Sunny makes me cry every time. Sunny was so tiny.

[@symol30872]

Just finished GOW Ragnarok a few days ago. Masterpiece of a game, what an experience... Christopher Judge really brought Kratos to life.

[@barkley8285]

Eh it’s great, definitely not a masterpiece though.

[@RocafellaPlaza82]

Ragnarok was a DISAPPOINTMENT

[@zlatan_2197]

​@@RocafellaPlaza82What were you expecting exactly if you think Ragnarok was disappointing?

[@Michael-bn1oi]

​@@zlatan_2197 Freya to step out of their screen and take their virginity. Probably.

[@milosav7314]

@@zlatan_2197 Da nije sranje

[@ABEAZYdaRonin94]

As someone with an excessively deep voice, Chris Judge definitely is an inspiration to me trying my luck with voice acting.

[@Trashbucko]

Best of luck to you, brother🫡

[@ABEAZYdaRonin94]

@@Trashbucko Thank you 😁

[@ReblazeGaming]

Hope it goes well for you if that's still your goal!

[@warlordishere5968]

☠️

[@yaacheese8643]

Even if you fail, you got the lottery ticket of being born with a deep voice. Imagine the opposite 😂

[@grantpflum6844]

Chris is such an icon. He has been a hero of mine since SG-1 and its a shame we don't get more of him

[@HimitsuHunter]

Same man, same... he's an ICON.

[@19schuey]

Indeed

[@xiarno3373]

Indeed

[@alex90andru]

Chris Judge is an amazing actor and human being I’m soo happy to see him do the voice for Kratos he is Kratos 🥰🥰🥰

[@johnnybrasel7604]

He doesn't just do the voice, they use motion capture. He's the mocap actor as well

[@johnnybrasel7604]

Def a gem of the ages

[@DevinDBell]

So glad Him and TC Carson got their flowers

[@jayomega2717]

Way too disrespect TC Carson

[@zuher3180]

But gowr is not goty

[@Dariddda]

Chris made a looong speech at the awards, but it was a nice monologue, and it was nice to see him getting emotional! He made an amazing job being Kratos in the games, and as a sideeffect he allowed more time for the giveaways to be given.... away, lol. So cool Chris, we can't wait to see you as Kratos again... maybe in Egyipt? or Japan?

[@anasshahid224]

Christopher Judge was born to play Kratos , amazing performance 👏👏👏👏👏

[@larryhouse3776]

Man brought so much more than just a voice to a character. He put his soul into it, and literally, every single person playing that game felt it!

[@SexualWhiteChocolate]

So happy for Chris to be successful and be reintroduced to my generation like he’s was to my dads in Star Gate.

[@majordakka5743]

Indeed

[@Spinnekk]

He will always be Teal'c of Chulak for me... 💪

[@Patrick_The_Pure]

He's been killing gods for almost 25 years now.

[@tmage23]

Indeed

[@alibektas8934]

His performane as Kratos is utterly masterful.

[@thefrayedends]

Just finished Ragnarok yesterday afternoon. Didn't really know who this guy was, also didn't know about the motion capture, but not only did he kill it on the voice, knowing he did the motion capture, he really added so much weight to so many scenes, what a talent.

[@enduro_j]

He killed it, him and the team. The cut scenes are amazing.

[@DemianCorvus]

Thanks a ton for this interview. Chris Judge was and is an amazing Kratos. To know how his work was behind the scenes is fantastic, and gives a new depth to his performance.

[@sodathejunker]

Incredible interview. Great testament to how much hard work goes into making games like GOW as emotional and compelling as the films we love.

[@Mark-mu4pj]

Chris Judge is an amazing Kratos, hopefully he stays the voice for future games.

[@XB_SOSA]

Legendary!!I absolutely love GOWR and Chris brought Kratos character to life.

[@karageorgiou_07]

No he didn't.

[@kencho02]

@@karageorgiou_07 BETA response

[@PixelGamerUS]

@@karageorgiou_07 yeah, he did Xbox fan boy

[@shogunrua1040]

The part where he talked about this chemistry with the kid was pretty moving. They both were awesome!

[@ericr.2698]

Kratos didn't evolve, he was intelligently designed. - Fact

[@markwolfe947]

Been a fan of him sinse SG1 and love that he won an award for that legendary performance of Kratos.

[@ManOfLegs]

HIs voice work in the relatively obscure Dead Space movie, featuring a few different animation styles to fit each character relaying the events during interrogation, was honestly one of his strongest performances. Sad performance, though he handled that script strong. Hope he does more voice work!

[@CVBrennan]

Very revealing. Great discoveries. Love hearing about the acting craft and voice over challenges. Enjoyable to hear from the other side of the camera.

[@TenzaBuraura]

Beginning to end, this was such an interesting interview. Props to host and guest!

[@blakeford3627]

this is what the people want!!! more behind the scene of GOW

[@Legrandmachincalme]

💯

[@locater2]

They should just forget about doing that movie and let the game makers and voice actors doing an animated series or a animated movie

[@Lucifer__83]

​@@locater2 Wait they're making a movie???

[@rsmirrr]

@@Lucifer__83 Amazon show

[@GOINFINITI]

Christopher did an amazing job. One might think this is simply voice acting, but clearly it is a lot harder to film, especially in one take something like this and in virtual environment no less. So amazing performance from him and other actors involved.

[@alanguages]

Christopher Judge should do more voice over work. He would fit in many animated shows as well.

[@metroids224]

This was an awesome interview, this is some of the best stuff that you guys have put out (:

[@j.jonahgameson7992]

Chris Judge is a gem

[@pfzht]

Chris Judge is such a fantastic actor and his voice acting career in video games has been iconic. Absolutely love the guy.

[@Daniel__Nobre]

Great interview, really cool and focused on what matters questions.

[@pr1me840]

Chris Judge has always been an amazing actor as seen in Star Gate. So happy to see him!!

[@crimlomotty2907]

He was D Mob 😂😂 damn ain’t know that. “Nobody ever beats me”

[@itsdeonlol]

Great interview!!!

[@merciless41582]

He reminds me of Michael Dorn, mixed with Tony Todd, mixed with James Earl Jones.

[@tchitchouan]

this dude has the Guiness record for longest acceptance speech.

[@arielrose9874]

and he deserved to have his moment tooo

[@holliswilliams8426]

who is going to tell Kratos to stop talking?

[@Fireballun]

@@FrostDK98 XD

[@JJHazy]

lmao you werent even joking, that's awesome:D

[@ahorserunning]

@@arielrose9874 Whether he makes a two second long speech or an hour long one, he is having his moment. But by doing what he did, he effectively removed time from all future recipients who deserved to have their moment, and made Al Pacino stand there for eight minutes for one of the most generic rambles of an acceptance speech in history lol That said, that dude is an incredible voice actor, and nobody could have done Kratos justice like he did

[@izgod2119]

T.C and the transition with Chris just fit perfect💯

[@clivematthews95]

This is informative and entertaining

[@sunradleo9925]

That was a dope interview bro. He's inspirational from another brudda being a fan of his art Dmob was inspiring and an influential leader

[@CamelSmokes23]

Happy for Chris Judge! Loved him since SG1 days.

[@T.O.A.D.U.K]

Christopher Judge has played two iconic characters. Not many actors can boast that - he will always be Teal'c to me but that just shows my age. He just did that part to perfection.

[@reekhavoc2932]

Who is tealc

[@T.O.A.D.U.K]

@@reekhavoc2932 😁😁

[@Trujones]

Waiting for a "motion capture, bloopers" and the hot takes are in game lol That would be gold!. Imagine kratos in a blooper and laughing during his lines.

[@schizzie5819]

Chris gave such a great, honest, insightful interview!

[@satanyanko]

Fantastic interview, this was so fun to watch! Chris is such a likeable guy.

[@AshleyWilliams-go5cb]

TC Carson was amazing as kratos don’t get me wrong he’s one of my favorite voice actors ever but something about Chris Judge is definitive kratos for me he’s so great

[@theonewhoisbetterthanyou3570]

Nah…TC definite THE Kratos voice.

[@socialmediademigod1496]

your crazy asf TC WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOAT OF KRATOS VOICE OVERS

[@SQOUREE]

Zuus

[@curryis828]

Just for you😂

[@imatimetraveler5760]

This was a fun and interesting watch love it 😅👍✌

[@Amberterd11]

We are truly lucky to have this man! I've been so engrossed in this series, and he has truly refined the role of Kratos!

[@ex2bot]

Thanks for this, IGN.

[@angel2901]

He will always be Teal‘c to me.

[@19schuey]

Indeed

[@trunksbriefs4132]

One of the best written characters and character arcs I've seen in any media (not just gaming)... but Mr. Judge brought it all to life; those awards are well deserved.

[@AnthonyAllenJr]

Brilliant interview!! Christopher Judge has been awesome since Stargate (best sci-fi show of all time).

[@cameronjohnson6321]

Nailed this role. Following since SG1. I'll be a fan forever.

[@waalex11]

That's it?! Isn't there a full version?

[@sad-7477]

We need a cast interview pls

[@tlisu4727]

Great interview!

[@TheOnlyTaps]

Great interview

[@kaz7690]

There are very few actors that have portrayed a character so well that you can’t imagine anyone else playing him. Christopher Judge and Kratos are one of the few exceptions

[@moneymack7940]

Judge was the best person for this role nailed it perfectly 🙏🏽

[@cemberendsen4297]

Super cool interview. Just phenomenal acting in GoW

[@haleyswart2934]

Absolutely love Christopher Judge,watched Stargate growing up with my dad ! He has always been a ICON!

[@westsi1]

Hey!! Let us NOT forget the original Kratos voice actor…I actually forgot his name, but DON’T….forget him!

[@joshuanorman283]

T.C. Carson is his name

[@wfnlegz2323]

No body forgot him relax lol

[@angel1202003]

two black men voicing this character is hilarious, people looking up to kratos like he’s some real figure ( physique, voice, masculinity, values, etc ) better recognize they’re looking up to dwayne the rock and judge types irl and nobody else lmfao

[@tyronedasher5408]

TC Carson

[@LiamMeme-xv4kl]

​@@angel1202003you're being sarcastic right?

[@DanielEarl]

The man's voice is just so perfect for the role.

[@merion297]

Wonderful insight! Thank you!

[@Spawn256]

great interview

[@dwerical]

This guy is just so awesome

[@JCokoro]

This man is just absolutely amazing 🎉🎉

[@Mimicry161]

Great Interview!

[@gidrixascension6806]

dude being mad definitly helped with the audition! LOVE THIS MAN

[@Ripperx121]

Sometimes a game or movie is perfect. Chris achieved perfection on this game.

[@Centure120]

Can’t wait for New Game plus 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@tediprayoga4801]

He’ so humble & hard working ❤

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

So happy to see him doing well. Love him as Teal'c.

[@raj1n501]

Wish they discussed it with tc Carson as well

[@chrisfeliz_]

Imagine if they put this effort in movies.

[@TheMoises1213]

That last question was amazing

[@heathbaker1138]

He was my favorite on Stargate SG-1.

[@straker454]

I'm glad he took the part. I've never boon a big GoW fan but his portrayal of Kratos is legendary. He made like the character.

[@TheNerd]

One of the greatest Videogame performances of all time. Full stop.

[@criz5991]

so damn humble for such a big star. one chris to another respect ✊🏼

[@joeruck]

This guy is amazing! Hes fantastic as Kratos! Just finished the Valhalla DLC and the emotion he portrays in that character is some of the best ive seen. Cheers to you Chris!

[@thefirstofthelastones8952]

Hopefully he's doing okay.

[@Kfoglarsson]

Shout out to where credit is really deserved and less spoken about: Sunny Suljic. The kid who played Atreus against this monolith of a man and stood his ground.

[@alandiegovillalobos]

Great time. Thanks.

[@InsaineAZN23]

beautiful. almost like a motion capture theatre performance 👏

[@xianxiii3029]

British Kratos needs to now be a MOD on PC lol.

[@altair227]

Hope to see the sequel

[@blue7lvn245]

The chemistry is off the charts

[@AnonymOus-dp3jj]

Chris.... We love you..