Giant 'Reacher' Actor Olivier Richters Wants Roles in Amazon's 'God of War' Series

Olivier Richters, the towering 7'2" actor who recently appeared as the villain Paulie in Amazon's "Reacher" series, has expressed interest in joining the upcoming "God of War" TV adaptation. Despite his impressive size, Richters believes he might be too large to play the main character Kratos.

"Last week it was announced by Amazon that they're going to make God of War. Of course I want to be Kratos, but I don't believe they would ever pick me for Kratos. I'm just too darn big," Richters told ScreenRant in a recent interview.

Instead, the actor known as "The Dutch Giant" suggested he could play other characters from the popular video game series. "There is a God that's bigger than Kratos, and that is Týr, or also Thor," he explained, adding that he's already asked his agent to pursue these opportunities with Amazon.

The "God of War" franchise began in 2005 and follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the "God of War" after killing his family due to trickery by Ares, the original Greek god of war. Seeking revenge, Kratos battles various mythological deities. While the early games featured Greek mythology, newer installments like "God of War: Ragnarok" take place in the Norse realm of Midgard.

However, Amazon's adaptation of the beloved PlayStation series has faced some development challenges. The project was first announced in 2022 but underwent a creative overhaul when the original team departed. According to recent reports, Ronald D. Moore, known for his work on "Battlestar Galactica," "Outlander," and "For All Mankind," has taken over as showrunner.

Moore revealed on "The Sackhoff Show" podcast that Amazon has already ordered two seasons of the series, showing confidence in the project despite its rocky start. However, it remains unclear whether the show will focus on the Greek or Norse mythology era of the games.

Beyond "Reacher," Richters has appeared in several high-profile projects including "Black Widow," "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," "The King's Man," and "Borderlands." His role in Reacher season 3 opposite Alan Ritchson has been his most prominent to date.