Courtney B. Vance will join the cast of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians for season 2 of the hit series. The veteran actor, best known for his roles in The Preacher’s Wife and NBC’s Law and Order: Criminal Intent, will play Zeus.
Season 1 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians cast Lance Reddick as Zeus. The actor passed away last March shortly after production wrapped up. Vance reflected on Reddick’s permanent mark on the show when celebrating his new role in the series.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to join the extraordinary cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” the actor shared in a statement. “There are few moments in an actor’s career when you can honestly say that you’re about to board a series that has such a devoted fan base filled with characters beloved around the world and is based on a wildly successful book series,” Vance continued.
“I know that stepping into this role of Zeus will be a memorable experience and I’ll be giving my brother, Lance Reddick, who left us way too soon, a heavenly hug.”
Rick Riordan created the Percy Jackson series to fulfill his son’s request for bedtime stories based on Greek mythology. “I had taught Greek myths for many years at the Middle School level, so I was glad to comply,” the author shared during an interview. “When I ran out of myths, he was disappointed and asked me if I could make up something new with the same characters.”
Percy Jackson has many perks and flaws. The youngster’s ADHD is his superpower.
“When I was writing Percy Jackson, my own son was in the process of being tested for learning differences,” Riordan shared during an interview. “He was having trouble reading, and some trouble focusing in the classroom,” the author added.
“The teachers were wondering about ADHD and dyslexia,” Riordan said of his son’s journey. “He was frustrated about learning to read, and we had to explain to him that the testing was designed to help the teachers help him, not make him feel bad.”
The latest installment of the Percy Jackson series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess, was released in September. The book is the second in Riordan’s “Senior Adventures” segment of the series.
Season 2 of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be based on Riordan’s second book, The Sea of Monsters. The first episode premieres next year.