The upcoming “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series at Disney+ has added three new actors to its cast to play Gods and Demigods from the books.
With season one already under production, these actors have just been added to the cast:
Adam Copeland
Copeland will appear in a recurring guest star role as Ares, the god of War.
Ares is described as “handsome in a wicked way and arrogant, despite not always being the sharpest tool in the shed. He loves conflict and acts as an agent of chaos wherever he goes.”
The actor, also known as the WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Edge, has starred in the TV shows “Haven,” “The Flash,” and “Vikings.”
Author Rick Riordan says of the casting, “I knew Adam was our Ares as soon as I saw his audition tape. He absolutely nailed it . . . This guy IS Ares the way I imagined him in the Percy Jackson series.”
Suzanne Cryer
Cryer will guest star as Echidna, The Mother of Monsters.
The character is said to be “dangerous, intimidating, and strangely maternal. She enjoys her task of challenging heroes and will test Percy’s faith in the gods.”
The actress is currently working on the series “Straight Man,” with Bob Odenkirk, and her past resume includes “Silicon Valley,” “The Fosters,” and “Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place.”
Riordan says of her casting, “Suzanne is not only a lovely person (with three kids who are all Percy fans), but an incredible actor who brought menace and magic to her portrayal of Echidna, the Mother of Monsters.”
Jessica Parker Kennedy
Kennedy will guest star as Medusa, the infamous gorgon.
Per her official character description, Medusa is “wronged by the gods and bitter. Medusa lives in isolation until travelers stumble on her emporium. She is welcoming to some and a threat to others.”
Kennedy has co-starred as Nora on “The Flash,” and the Starz pirate epic, “Black Sails.” Her resume also includes “The Old Man” and “Colony” series, along with films “Gemini,” and “50/50.”
Of her casting, Riordan says, “Her poised, powerful, elegant take on Medusa blew me away! And wait until you see some of the statuary in her Garden Gnome Emporium…”
About the Series
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” based on the book series by Riordan, tells the story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walter Scobell), who is just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt.
With help from his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.
The guest star cast also includes Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Megan Mullally, and Timm Sharp, as well as Dior Goodjohn, Charlie Bushnell, and Olivea Morton.
Riordan and Jon Steinberg are writing the pilot with James Bobin directing.
The series will air on Disney+ sometime in 2024.