Dave Bautista Officially Becomes Kratos as God of War Moves Forward | The Comic Section #396

The Ghost of Sparta has found his new live-action face.

On The Comic Section Podcast Issue #396, we break down Dave Bautista officially joining Amazon Prime Video’s God of War adaptation, the long-awaited movement on National Treasure 3, the future of Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai, several major new trailers, and our review of X-Men ’97 Season 2.

But before getting into this week's entertainment news, we've got some news of our own.

The Comic Section Patreon Is Officially Live

The Comic Section is growing.

We're excited to officially announce that The Comic Section Patreon has launched!

Listeners and viewers can join for just $5 per month and receive access to exclusive bonus video and audio content beyond what we release through our regular weekly show.

We've heard from members of our community who want longer conversations and additional content, and Patreon gives us the opportunity to deliver exactly that while allowing supporters to directly help us continue building The Comic Section.

This is only the beginning.

Join the Patreon: [INSERT PATREON LINK]

Remembering Hayden Panettiere, Michael Wright and Christy Knowings

Before this week's headlines, we take time to remember three performers who recently passed away: Hayden Panettiere, Michael Wright, and Christy Knowings.

Panettiere was known for projects including Heroes, Nashville, Remember the Titans, and the Scream franchise. Wright built a memorable career that included The Five Heartbeats, Sugar Hill, V, and HBO's Oz. Knowings became especially familiar to a generation of Nickelodeon viewers through her work on All That.

We offer our condolences to their families, friends, colleagues, and fans.

Dave Bautista Is Officially Kratos

After reports earlier this month that he was negotiating for the role, Dave Bautista is officially set to play Kratos in Amazon Prime Video’s God of War series.

Bautista replaces Ryan Hurst, who suffered a torn bicep while filming and required surgery.

For anyone familiar with Bautista only through professional wrestling or his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, the casting might initially seem centered around his imposing physical presence.

But Bautista has repeatedly demonstrated dramatic range in projects like Blade Runner 2049 and Dune.

That's particularly important for this adaptation because the modern God of War games aren't simply about Kratos destroying everything standing in his path. They're about fatherhood, grief, regret, restraint, and a man attempting to ensure his son doesn't repeat his mistakes.

The question isn't whether Bautista can look like Kratos.

The question is whether he can capture the Ghost of Sparta emotionally.

We discuss exactly that on Issue #396.

National Treasure 3 Is Finally “Hollywood Real”

Benjamin Franklin Gates may have another treasure to find.

Original National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub has revealed that a third movie is now genuinely in development, with a script Disney has approved. He cautioned that it's still “Hollywood real,” meaning circumstances could change before cameras actually begin rolling.

The first National Treasure debuted in 2004, followed by National Treasure: Book of Secrets in 2007.

Almost two decades later, fans may finally get another adventure—and perhaps finally find out what's hiding on Page 47.

Blue Eye Samurai Will End With Season 3

Mizu’s revenge story has an ending in sight.

Netflix has confirmed that Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 will arrive in January 2027 and renewed the acclaimed animated series for a third and final season.

Season 2 will continue Mizu's pursuit of revenge and expand the series beyond Japan as her journey takes her toward London.

We react to the new footage and discuss where we hope Mizu's story goes before the final chapter.

Coming Soon: VisionQuest, Ahsoka and More

This week's Coming Soon/Preview segment is loaded.

Marvel's VisionQuest brings Paul Bettany back as White Vision as he searches for his identity following the events of WandaVision. James Spader also returns as Ultron, and the series premieres October 14, 2026.

We also check out Netflix's upcoming continuation of A Different World, Untold: Mr. T — I Pity the Fool, and the first trailer for Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2.

Ahsoka returns to Disney+ on January 20, 2027, with Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Ahsoka Tano and more continuing the story.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 Review

Finally, it's time to return to the mutant world.

Jason and the crew review X-Men ’97 Season 2.

After the first season received enormous praise for successfully continuing the beloved animated series while pushing its storytelling into more mature territory, Season 2 had a difficult act to follow.

Did it succeed?

Which mutant had the best arc?

How did we feel about Apocalypse?

And did Season 2 manage to surpass Season 1?

We're breaking down our thoughts on The Comic Section Podcast Issue #396.

The Next Chapter of The Comic Section

Issue #396 also represents something bigger for us.

With the launch of The Comic Section Patreon, listeners now have another way to become part of what we're building.

For $5 per month, Patreon members will get access to exclusive bonus video and audio content as we expand The Comic Section beyond the weekly show.

If you've been watching, listening, commenting, sharing episodes, or supporting us over the years—thank you.

We're just getting started.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube.

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