It is interesting to consider whatGod of War’s Norse saga would have looked like as a trilogy, which was potentially the plan before Santa Monica decided on it being two installments instead. If the plan had been for it to be a trilogy, then that effectively makesGod of War2018 an entire act one, withGod of War Ragnarokbeing acts two and three married into one game. Because fans only haveGod of War Ragnarokas a base of reference, it is impossible to say whether the Norse saga would have been paced better or worse if it had been stretched out into two games for a trilogy’s sake.
God of War’s Norse saga truly never had an obligation to be a trilogy, but it is in fans’ nature now to assume that these narrative beats will last for a trilogy, as that essentially creates a three-act structure. The reason given for why the Norse saga was supposed to end withGod of War Ragnarokis because of the presumed time-span it would take to make three games, which could easily take more than a decade. Knowing this, it is also likely that the rapid aging ofAtreus’ Sunny Suljicbetween installments would have a considerable effect on how the franchise needs to be paced.
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Atreus’ Sunny Suljic Will Probably Be in His Early 20s When the Next God of War Releases
Interestingly,the supposed ending toGod of War’s Norse saga is left ambiguous, suggesting that another installment taking place in the nine realms is a likely possibility. That said, such a game would seemingly not feature Atreus since he has endeavored to find other Jotnar Giants in distant lands.
The lands he has decided to travel to are undeclared, but with Suljic’s age in consideration it may be a while before he arrives there. Suljic was 13 years old whenGod of Warreleased, and then 17 years old whenGod of War Ragnarokreleased. By the time that the nextGod of Warentry releases, Suljic will probably be in his early 20s.
This does not leave a lot of time for Atreus’ character to experience events slowly, since his actor will be growing up at an accelerated pace compared to how much time passes between each game’s narrative. There is always the likelihood that Suljic would simply act the role as a character younger than himself, since he does not necessarily need to be the same age as the character he plays.Suljic’s deepened voice is incredibly noticeable inGod of War Ragnarok, and Brok is even confused as to who Atreus is after seeing how much he has grown. Still, there may be less noticeable changes in the actor’s age between being 17 and 20-something years old.
Santa Monica Might’ve Wanted Atreus to Remain a Teen Throughout God of War’s Norse Saga
Years pass betweenGod of War2018 andGod of War Ragnarokthat explain Atreus’ age difference, but Santa Monica may have foreseen how Suljic would age throughout the decade of time needed to make three games, resulting in its desire to capitalize on Atreus being an adolescent. Of course, a decade is an astonishingly long time to commit to any actor or game design decision, and it may be in Santa Monica’s best interest to not linger in any one mythology for such a span of time again.
God of War Ragnarok’s narrative sees Kratos being much more empatheticand trusting of Atreus, but they still clash as they learn to understand one another better. This narrative would pack a much different punch if Atreus was already an adult, and Santa Monica may not have wanted to lose that father-and-son relationship throughout the course of the Norse saga.
Atreus could either be portrayed as a young adult inthe nextGod of Wargameor still as a late teen if it followsGod of War Ragnarokdirectly. Either way, it will be interesting to see what decisions are made for the franchise’s future.
God of War Ragnarokis available now for PS4 and PS5.
