Disney has revealed the main cast for their Percy Jackson and the Olympians show, but the roles of most of the Greek gods remain unfilled. The 2022 D23 Disney Expo gave audiences a wealth of information concerning all of their upcoming works. With regard to the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series on Disney+, not only did the studio share the first teaser trailer, but they also announced several actors and actresses who will play residents of Camp Half-Blood in the adaptation. While this information is certainly exciting, the casting of the Greek god characters appearing on the show should prove particularly interesting given the potential for more famous faces in these roles.
The plot of Percy Jackson and the Olympians revolves around the legends of Greek mythology and their assimilation into modern-day Western society. Mythic figures like Medusa and the Minotaur hide in plain sight among the human population, and fantastical places such as Mount Olympus and the underworld have hidden entrances at specified points in the United States. Some characters in the series, including the main protagonist, are demigods, children who are born to one mortal parent and one divine parent — Percy Jackson, for instance, is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Suffice to say that the gods are a key factor when it comes to Percy Jackson‘s theme, yet only one of the gods has been cast so far: the hilarious Jason Mantzoukas (of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation) is playing the role of Dionysus, the god of wine, who is also the head counselor of Camp Half-Blood.
As Greek mythology has a plethora of gods in the pantheon, not all of them can appear in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians show. However, season 1 of the new series will be solely based on the first Percy Jackson novel, The Lightning Thief, and there is one pivotal scene at the end of the book where many of the gods are featured. After finding Zeus’s lost lightning bolt, Percy is brought before the gods in a big conference on Mount Olympus, where he is congratulated and rewarded for the retrieval of the weapon. This scene is also depicted at the end of the first, problem-ridden Percy Jackson movie from 2010. While most of these portrayals will just be cameos, it will still be interesting to see who is cast as these larger-than-life characters. Speculating on the best fit for each, here is a list of which actors should play all of the Greek gods and goddesses in Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians show.
Travis Willingham As Zeus
Best known for his appearances in the world-renowned Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role, Travis Willingham has what it takes to play the god of the sky, Zeus, who is also the ruler of all the gods on Mount Olympus. Willingham is a mountain of a man with an intimidating aura to boot, and as a voice actor, he can certainly use his talents to make the king of the gods as powerful-sounding as possible in the Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians show. He has also worked a lot with Disney in the past, lending his thunderous voice to the superhero Thor in many Marvel animated shows and video games. Although he is more of a voice actor, there is no doubt that he would be up for the challenge of bringing to life one of mythology’s most famous deities.
John Stamos As Poseidon
Considering the titular character of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians show is the son of Poseidon, the casting of the king of the seas must be approached from a different angle. Rick Riordan’s books depict the gods as distant and uncaring toward their children, yet Poseidon is viewed in a more positive light, as he at least tries his best to be a good father to Percy. There is no actor more perfect to cast in the part of the sea god in Disney’s Percy Jackson show than John Stamos. Like other actors on this list, Stamos is actually of Greek descent, which fits well with the theme of the story and adds a nice sense of authenticity to the part. In several of his past roles, most notably his character Jesse Katsopolis in Full House and Fuller House, Stamos has shown an ability to play a caring yet stern parental figure. With his smooth charm and warm smile, he has a fatherly quality about him that makes him the best fit to cast in the part of Percy Jackson’s godly parent.
Rita Wilson As Hera
When it comes to the goddess of motherhood and marriage, Hera is definitely a tricky role to fill for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Similar to John Stamos exemplifying the ideal of a father, the person cast as this queen of the gods must do the same for a mother. Rita Wilson, who is also of Greek heritage, is the best choice for the part of Hera given the motherly roles she played so perfectly in the movies Now and Then and Jingle All The Way.
Christine Adams As Athena
The best fit for Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, is Christine Adams, who has the poise and decorum to play the pantheon’s most intelligent member. Mostly known for her role as Dr. Lynn Stewart on The CW’s Arrowverse show Black Lightning, she can exude confidence and ferocity while keeping a quality of softness that would further round the character. Adams’s Athena would have a good amount of screen time, as she is the mother of Annabeth Chase, the female lead of the Percy Jackson show.
Michael Chiklis As Ares
No stranger to playing rough-and-tumble characters, Michael Chiklis is the perfect actor to cast as the Greek god of war, Ares. Having played Jim Powell in No Ordinary Family and Ben Grimm/The Thing in the early 2000s Fantastic Four films, he would truly fit the bill. Out of all the gods, Ares will likely have the most screen time in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians show, as he frequently —and aggressively — antagonizes Percy and his friends as they continue on their quest to find Zeus’s lightning bolt. Chiklis has the bravado to be the tough guy rattling the cages of the Percy Jackson show’s main trio.
Maria Menounos As Aphrodite
While she is more notable as a journalist, that has not stopped Maria Menounos from trying her hand at acting. Taking up small roles in the past — most of them reporters — should be qualification enough for her to play Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The character will be a challenge, considering that in the Percy Jackson books she can be temperamental and vindictive, despite the aspect she represents. Given the opportunity, Menounos will be able to step up to the challenge and deliver a great performance.
Laurence Fishburne As Hephaestus
When it comes to casting the mighty Hephaestus, the Greek god of the forge, who is also the blacksmith of Mount Olympus, the actor needs to have the same forceful and strong energy that this figure is known for. No one encapsulates that better than Laurence Fishburne. As seen in his past roles including Morpheus in the first three Matrix movies and Dr. Bill Foster from Ant-Man and the Wasp, Fishburne has the gravitas to play Hephaestus. The most interesting part about the version of Hephaestus in the Percy Jackson books is that he can be described as the stereotypical “tortured artist,” as he prefers the company of his own inventions due to his frustration with actual social interaction. It would be very interesting to see how Fishburne would go about playing this trait of the character.
Zach Galifinakis As Hermes
Hermes is the god of travel, trade, and thieves and is also known as the messenger of the Greek gods. He is portrayed in Rick Riordan’s books as being highly understanding of mortals and well-liked among most demigods for his helpful and reasonable nature. For someone so admired, Disney should cast a comedic actor. The hysterical and half-Greek actor Zach Galifinakis would be perfect for playing the divine herald. Best known for his performances as Alan Garner in the Hangover movies, voicing the Joker in The Lego Batman Movie, and hosting his hilarious talk show, Between Two Ferns, Zach Galifinakis’s warm and jovial sense of humor would allow him to make the Percy Jackson and the Olympians version of the character Hermes all his own — and probably even better than fans could imagine.
Logan Lerman As Apollo
Disney loves to feature self-referential Easter eggs and to include gimmicky cameo appearances in their movies and TV shows. This is most evident with the MCU, which has brought back actors from non-MCU Marvel movies through its multiverse storyline. The same principle could be done with the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians show. Indeed, Logan Lerman, who played Percy Jackson in the 20th Century Fox movie adaptations, would be a fantastic choice to play the free-spirited god of the sun and prophecy, Apollo. Lerman definitely has the potential to bring Apollo to life, so long as viewers familiar with the movies are able to unsee him as Percy. His addition to the Disney+ show would be a pleasant homage to the past adaptation and would be the perfect representation of how far the Percy Jackson property has come.
Alexandra Daddario As Artemis
If Disney brought back Logan Lerman as Apollo, they could make a similar casting trick for his twin sister, Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt. Alexandra Daddario, who played Annabeth in the Percy Jackson movies, would be a perfect choice for Artemis. Recently Emmy-nominated for her performance as Rachel in the series The White Lotus, Daddario is also known for playing Dwayne Johnson’s daughter in the disaster flick San Andreas and the part of Summer Quinn in the 2017 Baywatch movie. In the latter, the actress displayed her ability to play a strong, reserved, and stoic character similar to Riordan’s portrayal of Artemis in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books. It would definitely be a treat to see Daddario and Lerman reunite on screen for the show, even if just for cameo roles.
Alfre Woodard As Demeter
Best known lately for appearing in Netflix Originals, playing the roles of Margaret Cahill in The Gray Man, Mariah Dillard in the Marvel series Luke Cage, and Marian in the movie Fatherhood, Alfre Woodard is an Oscar-nominated actress with a decades-long career in Hollywood. Her wide range as a performer makes her well-qualified for the role of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest. In the Percy Jackson world, Demeter’s demeanor is known to change like the seasons. One moment she’s kind and gentle, the next she is hot-tempered and confrontational — especially when it comes to her daughter Persephone. Casting Woodard as Demeter would allow the actress to display her talent in the best ways possible.
Hank Azaria As Hades
Aside from Zeus, there is one Greek god in particular whom fans are itching to see cast in the Percy Jackson show: Hades, the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. The actor chosen for the Percy Jackson adaptation needs to be able to play Hades as absolutely sinister. While known more for his comedic roles, Hank Azaria — who is also part Greek — would be a great fit for the part. He has played several villains, including Kahmunrah in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Gargamel in both of the live-action Smurfs movies. While these characters are not as serious as Hades, Azaria is always devoted to any role to the best of his ability, and this would be a chance for him to really get out of his comfort zone. And if Disney did want to go more in the comedic route with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians show, a bit of humor would go a long way with Azaria cast as Hades.
