God of War Laufey: A Project in the Works Since 2018
God of War Laufey, the upcoming entry in the beloved franchise that features Kratos’ wife Faye as the protagonist, may have come as a surprise to many fans. However, for its star, Deborah Ann Woll, the project was something she had been aware of for nearly a decade. In a recent interview with CGM, Woll shared that she first learned about the game around the time of the 2018 God of War reboot.
“I can’t tell you how exciting it is. I’ve known about this for nearly ten years, and I haven’t been able to talk about it,” Woll said. The Daredevil actress revealed that the game’s director, Cory Barlog, had already planned for her to be a part of the story, even showing her a poster featuring the character Laufey and a familiar sidekick from the reveal trailer — Jack Quaid’s talking Cube.
A Deeply Rooted Story
Woll explained that the idea for Laufey had been in development long before the 2018 reboot. “He pitched it to me in 2018, and they had known about it before then,” she said. “It’s wild. Cory brought me in to talk about doing Ragnarök and show me the 2018 game, and he already had a poster for the Laufey game with me and a cube. A cube that’s been there since the beginning. It’s deeply a part of the lore.”
The game has sparked a variety of reactions online, especially with the inclusion of the gelatinous cube companion. However, the game’s director, Ariel Lawrence, has addressed the skepticism surrounding the reveal. She acknowledged the concerns but expressed hope that fans will give the game a chance to prove itself.
While some fans are disappointed that Kratos is not the lead character this time, Woll is excited about the new direction the story is taking. “We need as much diversity as possible within these stories so that we can tell even more stories,” she said. “This is all just about enjoying each other’s perspectives and widening our experiences. If I get to, in some small part, do that for women within gaming, I’m very excited about that.”
Expanding the Mythology
Woll emphasized that this new entry is about expanding the God of War mythology and deepening the lore established in previous games. “This is going to run concurrently to 2018,” she said. “And so all of the mysteries and the little hints and clues, the questions, the lingering, you know, ideas that you have from that Norse saga, we’re going to answer a lot of that, or we’re going to expand upon it. This is going to feel like you are getting more story. This is going to continue to deepen what we’ve already learned.”
Reflecting on her experience with the project, Woll expressed her enthusiasm for the role. “I’m willing to say my favorite job I’ve ever had,” she said. “When I first saw that trailer, my jaw hit the ground. It’s the first time I’ve been able to experience my work as a viewer without judgment, without self-consciousness, because I knew how much work went into it after me, and that I can just appreciate that, like the technology, but also the animators; they caught every little muscle movement that my face can make.”
Woll noted that Kratos’ stoic nature meant that the technology didn’t have to capture a lot of facial movement. “It’s also just because that’s the character,” she explained. “So it wasn’t sort of utilizing that. So when I watched this one back, I was like, ‘Oh my God, every single little muscle movement, my eyes, little tiny things that they captured and put in that make a fuller, richer person,’ and I couldn’t, I really was blown away.”
More Stories to Come
While the release date for God of War Laufey remains unknown, fans of Kratos can take comfort in knowing that there are more games in the works featuring the Greek god. Cory Barlog has hinted that there are “many more stories to tell” in the God of War universe.
As the game continues to build anticipation, it’s clear that the new entry will offer a fresh perspective on the mythology while staying true to the franchise’s roots. Fans are eagerly waiting to see how the story unfolds and what new chapters will be written.
