The creator of God of War has weighed in on the online reaction to the series’ first official TV image. After Prime Video unveiled the first look at Kratos and Atreus, the franchise’s original director shared his thoughts, calling the promotional photo “so bad” and “stupid” while clarifying his broader expectations for the show.
David Jaffe says live-action God of War first look photo is ‘so dumb’ and ‘terrible’
God of War creator David Jaffe criticized the first look image from Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming TV adaptation. In a YouTube video, Jaffe called the image “so dumb” and “terrible,” adding, “It is so bad in so many ways.” The streamer officially released the photo, which shows Kratos in the woods with his son.
Jaffe said, “I’m sure everybody’s trying real hard, [but] it’s so dumb,” while also stating, “Two things can be true. This can be a terrible image, and it is.” He clarified that he was criticizing the image, not the production overall, and said showrunner Ron Moore “is awesome” and “a juggernaut of a talented fellow.” Jaffe added, “I have absolutely no doubt it is going to be a good show.”
What is this poster?! It looks like a photo shoot from bring your dad to school day.
— ☣Less Than Zero☣ (@_LessThanZer0_) February 27, 2026
Addressing the portrayal of Kratos by Ryan Hurst, Jaffe said, “Kratos in this pose with this expression, not the guy’s face, but this expression, he just looks stupid.” He continued, “If you’re going to reveal, to most people, a brand new character that you hope is going to carry your series, for the first time, and they’ve never really seen this before, and this is the way you introduce them?”
Jaffe also remarked, “Could you find a picture that doesn’t look like he’s shitting in the woods? Cause that’s what the picture looks like.”
Look how they massacred my boy https://t.co/aNHcNDkUVQ
— Jon Denton (@JonDenton) February 27, 2026
Amazon unveiled the first look photo on Feb. 27, confirming the series is in production. The cast includes Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as his son, alongside Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as Brok and Sindri, and Ed Skrein as Baldur.
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.com.
