Dave Bautista Shows Off 20-Pound Weight Gain on Instagram as God of War Kratos Prep Hits 250

By Maccarthy Albin

November 2, 2026 · 2:50 AM GMT

The actor says he has gained 20 pounds for Prime Video’s Kratos and now weighs 250, right on the two-month schedule he set in September.

Dave Bautista has told fans the bulking phase of his God of War preparation is working. On Sunday, November 1, the actor shared an Instagram story that carries the on-screen text “Gained 20 lbs for GOW” and a “250” sticker, a figure Variety read as his current weight. He wears a God of War T-shirt in the clip, which arrived two months after he said he needed two more months to get where he needed to be.

The post matters because Bautista is stepping into one of the most physically defined roles in video game history after the original star, Ryan Hurst, was forced out by an injury. Prime Video’s adaptation has already thrown away footage and restarted production once, so how closely Bautista can match the build of Kratos is a live question for the show. Here is what he posted, how his body has changed, and what the series needs from him next.

Kratos in the God of War video game (2018) — Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment / Santa Monica Studio | God of War (2018)

The Post: A Game Shirt, a Sticker and Three Words

The story is short and carries little explanation. Bautista films himself in a God of War shirt, and the overlays do the talking. “Gained 20 lbs for GOW” sits across the frame, and a “250” sticker lands beside it. Cosmic Book News, which described the clip as set to an instrumental track, said Bautista gave no written caption. Variety’s report, republished by Yahoo News UK, likewise noted that the page offered no caption beyond the overlays.

Dave Bautista via IG Stories

From 370 Pounds to 250: A Body in Transition

Bautista’s weight has moved more than almost any other actor’s over the past decade, and the figures reported across outlets show how unusual this phase is. He wrestled at roughly 290 pounds as Batista, according to Cosmic Book News, and was once as heavy as 370, according to the same outlet. He bulked to about 315 for Knock at the Cabin in 2023, then dropped around 75 pounds, settling near 240 by 2024.

Period	Reported weight
WWE years as Batista	About 290 lbs
Heaviest, per Cosmic Book News	370 lbs
Knock at the Cabin (2023)	About 315 lbs
After his weight loss (2024)	About 240 lbs
Start of Kratos prep, mid-August 2026	About 230 lbs
November 1, 2026	250 lbs

Figures are as reported by Cosmic Book News and Fiction Horizon; outlets give slightly different starting points.

The 250 figure also puts him well short of his heaviest weights, which is part of the point. Bautista is 57, and the role is expected to run across two back-to-back seasons, so the build has to hold up through a long and physical shoot as well as look right on camera.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot of muscle. But I’m okay with it, because I just feel more comfortable.”Dave Bautista, to Chris Van Vliet in 2024, as cited by Cosmic Book News

That 2024 comment explains why the current push is notable. Bautista chose lighter, leaner and more comfortable, then took a role that asks him to reverse course.

Two Months, as Promised

The clock began on September 3, when he posted a shirtless training video from a barn gym. His caption read: “3rd week in to weight training again. 2 more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin a bike! LFG!” The clip flexes, gives a couple of Kratos-style roars and uses the line “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” the Godfather Part III quote that TVLine highlighted.

Dave Bautista’s September 3 Instagram training video for God of War

By Cosmic Book News’ count, the reel drew about 152,000 likes and more than 7,000 comments within hours. Among the comments was one from fellow wrestler MVP, who wrote “The Animal returns!!!!!,” a reference to Bautista’s old WWE nickname. Two months from September 3 lands on early November, and the “250” story arrived on November 1, which means the update came right on the schedule he set himself.

How Much Bigger Does Kratos Need to Be?

Bautista has not said whether 250 is his target or a checkpoint. The comparison fans are drawing is with Hurst, who reportedly gained 40 pounds of muscle before his injury. TVLine and Fiction Horizon both cited that figure. One outlet speculated that Bautista could eventually reach 275 to 280 pounds from a 240-pound baseline, but Fiction Horizon labels that a guess, and neither Bautista nor Prime Video has confirmed a goal.

Nothing about his diet has been disclosed either. Shane the Gamer noted that no weights, lifts or meal plans accompanied the September post, and the November story is just as sparse. What is known is the timeline: heavier lifting began in mid-August, around the time his deal closed, and cameras have been rolling again since mid-October.

The Man Who Was Cast First

The urgency exists because of what happened to Hurst. He was announced as Kratos in January 2026, and filming began in Vancouver in February. During the shoot he tore a bicep in a stunt and needed surgery. Variety reported on August 20 that the recovery would have pushed a restart into 2027, so Amazon and co-producer Sony began recasting the part.

Bautista had been reported to be in talks earlier in the month, and the deal was confirmed on August 20. Everything shot with Hurst is being redone. TVLine put the number at four episodes needing a full reshoot, and Cosmic Book News said Amazon discarded the earlier footage entirely. Our own report on the God of War series resuming production in Vancouver covers that return to the set.

Why Christopher Judge Stepped Aside

Many fans first expected Christopher Judge, who voices and performs Kratos in the games, to take the live-action role. According to Shane the Gamer, Judge auditioned and prepared physically, then withdrew at age 62 because he did not want to commit to 12- to 18-hour production days, a demanding diet and constant training. TVLine added that Judge approves of Bautista’s casting.

That context shows what Bautista is signing up for. The same schedule that Judge found too punishing is the one Bautista must keep up across two seasons, with a body he has been rebuilding since the summer.

The Cast and Crew Around Him

The series is created and run by Ronald D. Moore, who is writer, executive producer and showrunner through Tall Ship Productions. Frederick E.O. Toye is directing the first two episodes. Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television co-produce with PlayStation Productions.

Dave Bautista as Kratos
Callum Vinson as Atreus
Max Parker as Heimdall
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor
Mandy Patinkin as Odin
Ed Skrein as Baldur
Alastair Duncan as Mimir
Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as Brok and Sindri

The story draws on the two most recent games, 2018’s God of War and 2022’s God of War Ragnarök. Kratos raises his ten-year-old son while facing the Norse gods, on a journey to scatter the ashes of Faye, the boy’s mother. Prime Video has ordered two seasons and plans to film them back to back, and no premiere date has been announced.

A Career Built on Physical Presence

Bautista has used his size throughout his acting career. He played Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel films from Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 through Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2023, and Glossu Rabban Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Dune: Part Two. His other recent credits include My Spy, Knock at the Cabin and The Wrecking Crew, and Variety lists Road House 2 and the Highlander reboot as upcoming.

Kratos asks for something different from those parts. Drax and Rabban were built around menace and comic timing, while Kratos requires a quiet, grieving father who is also the most dangerous person on screen. Looking the part is only one half of it.

Transformations Are Having a Moment

Bautista is not the only actor changing his body for a screen adaptation this season. Walton Goggins recently wrapped filming on Fallout season 3 and shared an Instagram goodbye to his makeup, as we covered in our report on his farewell message. Dwayne Johnson, meanwhile, is almost unrecognizable in set photos of his 70-year-old character in Lizard Music.

The wave of game adaptations is another reason the pressure is high. HBO has now set The Last of Us season 3 for 2027 as its final season, and our feature on how Harry Potter is starting over on television shows how heavily studios are betting on familiar worlds. For a look at what physical commitment can cost a production, our list of 20 movies that were almost impossible to film is worth a read, and the most anticipated movies of 2027 shows what else is coming.

Quick Answers

How much weight has Dave Bautista gained for God of War?

His Instagram story says he has gained 20 pounds and now weighs 250.

When did the post go up?

He shared it on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Variety’s report followed early on November 2.

Who was cast as Kratos before Bautista?

Ryan Hurst, who was announced in January 2026 and left after tearing a bicep during a stunt.

When does the series premiere?

No premiere date has been announced. Prime Video has ordered two seasons.

What Comes Next

Bautista’s own two-month target has now passed, and filming with him is under way in Vancouver, so the next signs of progress are likely to come from the set instead of Instagram. Prime Video has not announced a premiere date. When the first footage of his Kratos does arrive, the reaction will turn on whether the physique Bautista has been building since August reads on screen the way fans expect. For more entertainment coverage, visit the Every Movie Plug news page, or explore our features in the articles section.

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