Prime Video’s highly anticipated God of War series has hit a major and unexpected setback.

Ryan Hurst, who had been cast as Kratos in the fantasy drama based on the hit PlayStation video game franchise, is being replaced after suffering a serious injury on set, according to Deadline.

The decision comes after what was described as careful consideration by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios, the studios behind the series.

Hurst was injured in late June while working on the Vancouver set. The actor reportedly tore his bicep while performing a stunt for the physically demanding role.

He has since undergone surgery and is now recovering.

The development is especially heartbreaking for Hurst, who had gone all in for the role. After being cast as Kratos, he reportedly put on 40 pounds of muscle and spent months filming the demanding part before the injury forced production to stop.

God of War paused production immediately after the incident and remains on hiatus.

While Hurst’s exact recovery timeline is unclear, serious bicep tears that require surgery often take several months to heal. A return to full strength can take even longer.

Because Kratos is such a physical role, sources told Deadline it likely would not have been safe for Hurst to resume filming until 2027.

According to the report, Hurst’s full recovery remains the priority. But the amount of time needed for that recovery was longer than the production schedule could absorb, leading to the difficult decision to recast the lead role.

Preparation is now expected to begin in mid-August, with production set to restart in mid-October.

God of War began filming in February in Vancouver. The series, from writer, executive producer and showrunner Ronald D. Moore, already had a two-season order from Prime Video.

The plan is still for both seasons to film back-to-back.

According to sources, four episodes had been fully completed before Hurst’s injury. Those episodes will now be reshot with the new actor who takes over as Kratos.

That also creates another challenge for the production. Kratos’ son, Atreus, is played by child actor Callum Vinson. Because child actors can change quickly as they grow, it would be difficult to preserve much of the existing footage while replacing only Hurst’s scenes.

The timing is also painful for Hurst on a personal and professional level. As he faces a lengthy recovery, he is also appearing in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which opens tomorrow.

God of War follows Kratos and his son Atreus as they set out on a dangerous journey to spread the ashes of Faye, their wife and mother.

As they travel together, Kratos tries to teach Atreus how to become a better god. At the same time, Atreus tries to teach his father how to become a better human.

The cast also includes Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and Danny Woodburn as Brok.

Lead recastings after on-set injuries are rare, but they have happened before.

In 2020, O’Shea Jackson Jr. replaced Winston Duke as the lead of Apple TV’s Kevin Durant drama Swagger after Duke was injured early in Season 1 production.

Netflix also shut down production on Cowboy Bebop for months after John Cho suffered a knee injury during filming in 2019. Cho needed surgery and extensive rehab. With the pandemic later factoring in, the series resumed production 11 months after the injury.

God of War is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with PlayStation Productions and Moore’s Tall Ship Productions.

Moore executive produces alongside Maril Davis, Cory Barlog, Naren Shankar, Matthew Graham, Asad Qizilbash, Jeff Ketcham, Hermen Hulst, Roy Lee, and Brad Van Arragon.

Joe Menosky, Marc Bernardin, Tania Lotia, and Ben McGinnis serve as co-executive producers.

Frederick E.O. Toye directed the first two episodes.