L-R Lance Riddick as Zeus, Walter Scobell as Percy Jackson, Toby Stephens as Poseidon, {image via Disney.}

SciFi.Radio reported previously that Disney + was working on a Percy Jackson series. Now Disney has announced who will be playing Zeus and Poseidon.

Zeus, the King of the Greek gods, will be played by Lance Riddick. He is taking over the role played by Sean Bean in the movies. Riddick played Irvin Irving in the TV show Bosch, Charon in the John Wick franchise, Matthew Abaddon in Lost, and Phillip Broyles in Fringe. He played Guillermin in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). Playing Zeus in Percy Jackson & the Olympians will only add to his Geek Cred.

Poseidon, god of the sea and Percy Jackson’s divine father will be played by Toby Stephens. He is following in the footsteps of Kevin McKidd, who played Poseidon in the movie version. Stephens is used to filling big shoes. He is the real-life son of Dame Maggie Smith (Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise and her second husband Sir Robert Stephens, who starred in the title role in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). Toby Stephens is a Saturn Award nominee for his Best Supporting Actor role as Captain William Gordon in Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005). He played Captain Flint in Black Sails. He played John Robinson in the 2018-2021 reboot of Lost in Space.

Sean Bean and Kevin McKidd left some big sandals to fill, but author Rick Riordan thinks they’re up to it.

 “In all his roles, Lance projects an aura of authority and power that makes him perfect for the king of Olympus,” Riordan said of Reddick. “As I told him when we met, he has so much gravitas he could pull planets out of alignment, and when he makes his displeasure known to Percy Jackson . . . wow, wait until you see that scene.”

MSN reported ‘On his personal blog, RickRiordan.com, Riordan, who also serves as the executive producer on the upcoming Disney+ live-action series, described how Reddick and Stephens had “that godly aura.” The writer said Reddick “projects an aura of authority and power that makes him perfect for the king of Olympus.” He jokingly wrote it only seemed reasonable for Reddick to play Zeus as he played Charon in the John Wick movies and “it seems a natural promotion to go from Charon to Zeus!” As for Stephens, Riordan said he experienced goosebumps when he saw the British actor say Poseidon’s lines. “And seeing him and Walker [Scobell] together, you can absolutely believe they are father and son.” Riordan wrote. “Not many actors have the sheer power to stand toe-to-toe with one another and convince you they are the manifestations of the sky and the sea, about the tear one another apart.” ‘

Already Cast in the Disney Plus Series

• Walter Scobell as the demigod Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.
• Dr. Lin-Manuel Miranda will be playing Hermes, god of merchants, thieves, and travellers, the Internet, as well as messenger of the gods.
• Charlie Bushnell plays Luke Castellan, son of Hermes.
• Actor/wrestler Adam “Edge” Copeland plays Ares, god of war.
• Jay Duplass will play Hades, the god of the underworld, lord of the dead, but not god of death.
• Timothy Omundson will be portraying Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths.
• Leah Jeffries plays Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena.
• Aryan Simhadri will costar as the satyr Grover Underwood.
• Emmy-winner Glynn Turman will play the centaur Chiron. He played Sheriff Craven in Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Both Pierce Brosnan and Anthony Stewart Head played Chiron in the movies.
• Jason Mantzoukas portrays Dionysus. He will be familiar to some SciFi,Radio fans as the voice of Jankom Pog in Star Trek: Prodigy and the voice of Scarecrow in The LEGO Batman: Movie (2017).
• Sally Jackson, Percy’s human mother, will be played by Virginia Kull.

Rick Riordan said the first season will consist of eight one-hour episodes. It is scheduled to start streaming in 2024.

There’s no question Rick Riordan is looking forward to Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Are you looking forward to seeing it? Do you have an opinion on Riddick and Stephens being cast as Percy’s uncle and father? Shout out on the comments section below.

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