Why Has Sony Hired Ben Stiller For God Of War?
It seems that Ben Stiller is the new poster boy for Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok, but why have we hired the Zoolander actor?
02nd Nov 2022 12:05
Images via Netflix | Sony
Why Has Sony Hired Ben Stiller For God Of War?
It seems that Ben Stiller is the new poster boy for Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarok, but why have we hired the Zoolander actor?
02nd Nov 2022 12:05
Images via Netflix | Sony
When you think of Kratos, you likely think of Terrence C. Carson who voiced him in the original games, Christopher Judge becoming synonymous with the Ghost of Sparta since 2018's reboot, or maybe those continued fan castings that Jason Momoa should play him. Chances are, you don't really think of Ben Stiller.
In a bizarre move, Sony has brought Ben Stiller on board to promote God of War Ragnarok. No, the Zoolander and Meet the Parents actor isn't playing Kratos in Amazon's live-action God of War series. At least, we don't think he is.
Why Is Ben Stiller Playing Kratos?
As we've seen with that "cringe" Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer featuring Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby, celebrity endorsements mean big things for video games. Away from Snoop Dogg in Call of Duty: Warzone or Ariana trying her whistle notes in Fortnite, God of War Ragnarok is the latest big title to tread into Tinseltown to help promote its upcoming release.
In a viral video, we see Stiller dressed as Kratos. Complete with bleached skin and red tattoo, it's easy to spot the star is cosplaying as everyone's favourite bearded brute. Channelling his inner Kratos, the clip is a clever play on the relationship between Kratos and Atreus - with Stiller sitting alongside his real-life son. The jaw-dropping cameos don't end there though. We also see LeBron James with his son and John Travolta with his daughter, each giving their kids some life lessons.
Stiller seems quite at home as Kratos, telling a PlayStation blog, "Putting on the Kratos beard and makeup felt very empowering. The war paint really is useful in terms of letting people know you mean business. I found the beard made me feel wiser…though [my son] Quin didn’t seem to feel that at all. We'd argue that Travolta looks more like Ragnarok's Kratos, but we'll let that slide.
Everyone Loves The God Of War Ragnarok Video
Are you paying attention, Activision, that's how you do a viral marketing video. Whereas the Modern Warfare 2 video was (rightly) ripped apart in the comments, the Ragnarok one is currently sitting with over 50k likes and is being adored by casual fans and die-hard Kratos wannabees alike. "You know you've made it as a videogame when you have Travolta, stiller, and LeBron peddling your franchise," cheered one fan.
Another added, "I love when old commercials used to be like this. Love that they’re bringing it back," and there's definitely a sense of old Pepsi commercials in this one. A third concluded, "This deserves an Oscar, I don't know why but give it to them." With God of War Ragnarok poised to be a major release in 2022, it has the chops to dethrone Elden Ring as Game of the Year, so it's not like it needed Stiller and co. to promote it. Still, we love to see it.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
