You probably remember the first time you heard Atreus speak in the 2018 reboot. That high-pitched, slightly hesitant "Yes, sir" that defined the dynamic between a literal God of War and a boy who didn't even know his own name. Behind that voice—and every stumble, arrow shot, and emotional outburst—was Sunny Suljic.
At the time, he was just a kid. Literally.
When Sunny Suljic first stepped into the volume for God of War, he was about eight years old during his initial auditions. By the time the world actually played the game in 2018, he was twelve. It’s rare to see a performance in gaming where the actor and the character are so physically and emotionally entwined that they basically hit puberty together, but that’s exactly what happened here.
The Weird Reality of Sunny Suljic in God of War
Most people think voice acting is just sitting in a booth with a pair of headphones. For Sunny, it was way more grueling. We’re talking full motion-capture suits, dots on the face, and heavy head-mounted cameras. He had to act out these intense, heavy scenes with Christopher Judge (who plays Kratos) while wearing what basically looks like a scuba suit.
Judge is a massive human being. Sunny was a tiny child. That height difference you see on screen? That wasn't some trick of the camera or clever coding. It was real.
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The chemistry worked because they actually treated each other like family on set. If you watch the behind-the-scenes footage from Santa Monica Studio, you see this weird, beautiful mentorship. Sunny wasn't just "the kid" on set; he was a co-lead. He had to carry the emotional weight of a boy grieving a mother while trying to earn the respect of a father who, frankly, was kind of a jerk for the first half of the journey.
Turning "The Brat" into a Hero
Here is a bit of trivia most fans actually missed: Sunny Suljic used to lurk on Twitch.
Seriously. After the 2018 game came out, he created a fake profile and would hop into streams of people playing the game. He’d ask the streamers, "So, what do you think of the kid?"
The feedback wasn't always great. A lot of players found Atreus annoying or "bratty," especially during that mid-game stretch where he finds out he's a god and starts acting like a total jerk. Instead of getting offended, Sunny took that to heart. He actually used that criticism to shape how he played Atreus in God of War Ragnarök. He wanted to make the transition from a cocky kid to a maturing young man feel earned.
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The Puberty Problem in Ragnarök
Developing a sequel takes years. In the world of AAA gaming, four or five years is standard. But for a teenage boy, five years is a lifetime of physical changes.
By the time they were deep into production for God of War Ragnarök, Sunny’s voice had dropped. Like, significantly.
The team at Santa Monica Studio actually had a bit of a crisis. Because the game’s story takes place only a few years after the first one, Atreus couldn't suddenly sound like a 25-year-old baritone. They had to go in and digitally tweak some of his dialogue to ensure he still sounded like a fourteen-year-old, even though Sunny was pushing seventeen by the time they finished.
It’s one of those technical hurdles that nobody thinks about until you’re trying to make a "one-shot" cinematic masterpiece where the actors are aging faster than the characters.
Why he wasn't just "the voice"
If you’ve played the games, you know Atreus has a very specific way of moving. He’s agile, a bit scrappy, and leans into his archery. Sunny is a professional skateboarder in real life. If you haven't seen his clips or his role in Jonah Hill's Mid90s, you're missing out.
That "skater" athleticism actually bled into the character. The way Atreus moves through the environment—that fluid, low-center-of-gravity style—is a direct result of Sunny's own physical capabilities. He didn't just give Atreus a voice; he gave him a skeleton.
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What's Next for Sunny and Atreus?
Now that Sunny Suljic is in his twenties (he turned 20 in August 2025), everyone is asking the same question: will he be back?
The ending of Ragnarök left things wide open. Atreus is off on his own journey to find the remaining Giants. It’s the perfect setup for a spin-off. But there's a catch. With the God of War TV show in development at Amazon, fans are torn.
Should Sunny play the live-action Atreus?
The problem is age. If the show starts at the beginning of the 2018 story, Sunny is way too old to play a twelve-year-old boy. But many fans argue that he is the character. He’s spent over a decade inhabiting this role. It’s hard to imagine anyone else bringing that specific mix of vulnerability and "Loki" mischief to the screen.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're looking to follow Sunny’s career or understand why his performance was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for gaming, here is what you should keep in mind:
- Watch Mid90s: To see Sunny’s range outside of the "Boy!" memes, this film is essential. It shows his raw ability to play a kid looking for a place to belong, which is basically Atreus’s entire arc.
- Study the Mocap: If you’re into game dev or acting, look up the "Raising Kratos" documentary. It’s a masterclass in how Sunny and Christopher Judge used physical proximity to build their performances.
- Follow the Skating: Sunny’s skateboarding is a huge part of his identity. It’s why he’s so "grounded" as an actor—he has a life completely outside of the Hollywood bubble.
- The Voice Drop: When you replay Ragnarök, listen closely to the pitch of Atreus’s voice. Knowing the technical work that went into "de-aging" his vocals makes you appreciate the sound design on a whole new level.
Sunny Suljic didn't just play a character in God of War; he grew up inside of it. Whether he returns as an adult Loki or moves on to other massive film roles, his work as the "Boy" who became a man is officially etched into gaming history.