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Today, Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios announced that Ed Skrein has signed on to portray Baldur, who is the main villain in 2018’s God of War game. He is the son of Odin and Freya. The official character description, which you can read in the space below, will sound familiar to anyone who knows the source material:
“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.”
Why Ed Skrein Is Perfect for Baldur in God of War
Skrein has plenty of experience playing antagonists. He gained notoriety for portraying Ajax in Deadpool, and has followed that up with villainous turns in everything from Alita: Battle Angel to Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon films. Baldur is the latest chapter in what’s become a growing legacy for Skrein, and this could be his most captivating role yet. Like so many characters in the God of War series, Baldur is a tortured individual. Freya cursed him in an effort to protect him from harm, but she ended up making his existence miserable because he can’t feel anything.
Baldur’s combination of charismatic arrogance and mental instability reads as an ideal fit for Skrein’s skill set as an actor. Skrein has a magnetic screen presence and also excels at putting viewers on edge. A defining trait of Baldur is his fearlessness, which makes him unpredictable. Since he can’t feel pain and is invulnerable, he’s reckless and isn’t afraid about diving head first into a fight, making him particularly dangerous. The God of War game opens with a jaw-dropping confrontation between Kratos and Baldur, establishing the latter as a formidable foe. It will be fun to watch Skrein put his own spin on this sequence (and other standout moments), tapping into his action chops and knack for playing villains.
