“I don’t even know there was a God of War”: Joe Budden addresses viral rumor of playing Kratos in live-action

A social media post joking about Joe Budden auditioning to play Kratos in the upcoming live-action God of War series sparked widespread reactions this month, eventually prompting the rapper and podcaster to address the rumor directly.

On September 11, someone on X shared a made-up story claiming Budden was being considered to play Kratos, one of the most famous figures in gaming. The post quickly gained traction. Amazon Studios is working on a live-action version of the game series, and rumors of a shortlist of actors have already been floating around. While there was nothing backing up the claim about Budden, its timing and how it was shared made it seem real to some.

The viral post sparked a flood of memes on the internet. Fans started using audio from Budden’s famous podcast moments alongside intense scenes from the God of War games.

Budden later explained that he was not part of the project and barely knew anything about the franchise. When people questioned him about the rumor, he said he had never even heard of Kratos or known about God of War before the viral post. What he said made it clear that the whole story was just something made up on social media.

"I don't know who this dude is ... I've never heard of Kratos ... I didn't even know there was a God of War," he said.

Joe Budden was asked about the viral 'rumor' he auditioned to play Kratos in the live-action 'God of War' series

"I don't know who this dude is ... I've never heard of Kratos ... I didn't even know there was a God of War" 😂 pic.twitter.com/ukMmRiVqzC

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) September 19, 2025

Ronald D. Moore outlines vision for Amazon’s God of War adaptation

Work on the live-action series keeps moving forward. The project, first revealed in 2022, is being headed by Ronald D. Moore. He serves as the showrunner and executive producer and is recognized for his work on Battlestar Galactica and Outlander. In July, Moore talked about the show’s creative vision in an interview with IGN. He highlighted the goal to reflect the emotional weight and massive scope of the games.

Moore said the adaptation will focus on Kratos and his son Atreus as they work to honor Atreus' mother’s memory. He mentioned that the show’s tone will mix action with emotional storytelling, just like the game.

"The tone of the show is trying to emulate the tone of the game, which is there's this epic journey, this heartfelt story of these two men setting out on this thing to honor the memory of his wife, Atreus’ mother," said Moore about Kratos' son. "So it has this emotional heart, but there's this sense of history of who Kratos is, this mystery about his past, what he represents, the emotions that he's going through," he said.

Amazon Studios views the God of War series as one of its most anticipated projects, fueled by the franchise’s praise from critics and the cultural significance of its main character.