Ed Skrein has been cast as Baldur in Prime Video's upcoming God of War streaming series, which has been taking its cues directly from God of War: Ragnarok. Skrein is well known for his roles in Deadpool and last year's Jurassic World: Rebirth.
Baldur is an important character in the God of War franchise as the primary antagonist of GoW: Ragnarok, working as an enforcer for his father Odin thanks to his nigh-invincibility.
In mythology, Baldur's death is the key inciting incident of Ragnarok, the end of Asgard and its gods. Baldur is so beloved by everything in existence that even inanimate objects like rocks and weapons swear to never do him harm. Only the seemingly harmless mistletoe plant does not swear the oath, leading Loki to craft a spear of mistletoe.
Loki then tricks Baldur's own brother, the blind Höðr, into killing him with it while playing a game in which the gods took turns throwing things at Baldur to watch them bounce off his impervious body.
In God of War, Baldur's history is relatively similar, but with the twist that his invincibility has the side effect of making him unable to feel pleasure as well as pain, making it more of a curse.
Here's Prime Video's official character description for Baldur:
"Baldur may be the youngest son of Odin, but he's his father's most dangerous weapon. Charismatic, unpredictable and armed with a razor-sharp tongue, Baldur lives by his own rules. As a boy, Baldur was cursed; this curse denied him the ability to feel pleasure and physical sensation. This fuels an insatiable anger and bloodlust in Baldur, who favors a brawling fighting style that blends his immense power with the raw impact of his fists. Above all else, he longs for an opponent that can truly match his prowess in battle. An opponent that can finally make him feel something."
Skrein joins a cast led by Kratos actor Ryan Hurst, alongside Max Parker as Heimdall, Teresa Palmer as Sif, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Callum Vinson as Atreus, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Jeff Gulka as Sindri, and Danny Woodburn as Brok.
Prime Video has not set a premiere date for its God of War streaming series. In the meantime, you can dig into the best shows to watch on Prime Video right now.
