Mild spoilers are ahead for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief book.
Based on its second episode, Disney’s adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians overlooks a key Camp Half-Blood character — and that decision could backfire later on in the series. Over the course of its first handful of episodes, the Disney+ show has been tasked with bringing Rick Riordan’s Greek mythology-infused world to life, all while setting up the series’ epic stories and compelling cast of Percy Jackson characters. When legendary creatures try to hunt him down, Percy (Walker Scobell) finds himself at Camp Half-Blood — a training ground for demigods. There, Percy meets several crucial characters, including Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries) and Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell).
It’s no secret that Disney’s Percy Jackson fixed a Luke mistake from the Lightning Thief movie adaptation by casting Bushnell — an actor who’s a few years older than Scobell and Jeffries. Instead of making Luke one of Percy and Annabeth’s preteen peers, the series wisely keeps the characters’ age-gap intact: unlike the Percy Jackson-aged Walker Scobell, Bushnell is 19 years old, making Luke something of an older brother figure to Percy and the other campers. In true camp counselor fashion, Luke makes the younger demigods feel both safe and wanted — but that doesn’t mean Disney’s adaptation translates the character perfectly either.
Disney’s Percy Jackson Changes Luke’s Role In Favor Of Annabeth & Percy’s Relationship
In 2010’s movie adaptation of The Lightning Thief, Luke is just another camper. While he does have some history with Annabeth — and is positioned as Percy’s romantic rival — the film cuts out his compelling backstory, thus undermining the character’s eventual betrayal toward the end of the story. Instead of making Luke Percy’s rival or bully, the series remains faithful to the book version of the demigod son of Hermes. Since Disney’s Percy Jackson has just one episode’s worth of time to establish Luke and his relationship with the show’s titular protagonist, a few key changes are made to how the story unfolds.
What “Maia” Means: Why It Makes Luke’s Shoes Grow Wings In Percy Jackson Episode 3
Saying “Maia” makes Luke Castellan’s red shoes grow wings in Percy Jackson & the Olympians episode 3, with the command connecting back to Hermes.
For starters, Luke gives Percy a tour of Camp Half-Blood. Although this takes away some of Percy’s one-on-one time with Annabeth, it serves a larger purpose by painting Luke as a protective figure. However, Disney’s Percy Jackson also downplays Luke’s pre-existing relationship with Annabeth. Prior to the events of The Lightning Thief, Luke joins Thalia, Zeus’ late daughter, Grover, and Annabeth, only to have his faith in the Olympians completely shaken. Since the series doesn’t give Luke a ton of screen time before Percy’s quest begins, it’s difficult to know if the story’s later events will play out satisfyingly.
Downplaying Luke Could Backfire For Percy Jackson Later On
By downplaying Luke’s role and backstory, the older demigod’s betrayal at the end of The Lightning Thief — and, seemingly, Percy Jackson season 1 — might not feel as earned. From the start, Luke and Annabeth’s novel counterparts have a very clear, crucial history with each other, and their early interactions at Camp Half-Blood indicate that. Since the series chooses to focus on Percy’s individual relationships with both Luke and Annabeth, Luke’s backstory (and motivations) remain fairly untouched. In fact, book Percy doesn’t select both Luke and Annabeth for his quest because of their existing friendship; he fears they’ll betray him, as the Oracle’s prophecy teases.
In the show, one scene perfectly captures Percy Jackson’s relationship with Annabeth, and it starts with Percy admitting that he hand-picked Athena’s demigod daughter for the quest because he can’t fathom them becoming friends. If they aren’t pals, Annabeth can’t betray Percy, allowing him to avoid the Oracle’s prediction. However, this also downplays Luke’s role and undercuts his anti-Olympian backstory. While devoting more time to Percy and Annabeth’s fraught dynamic makes sense for the eight-episode first season, Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians may hit some snags if the series doesn’t deploy Luke’s backstory more wisely in future outings.
New episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians are released on Disney+ every Tuesday.
