Disney’s Percy Jackson TV Show Could Fix Its LGBTQ+ Representation By Including This Gods Of Asgard Character

Disney’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians TV series has the ability to fix its LGBTQ+ representation issue by including one character from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. After a failed movie franchise, Percy Jackson needs to fix a number of book moments the Percy Jackson movies failed. They’ll also need to incorporate many elements that make the books great, like strong friendships and positive neurodivergent representation. Unfortunately, there are also flaws within the books that Disney’s Percy Jackson series can fix. The most noticeable problem in the Percy Jackson book series is the lack of good queer representation.

The one notable queer character in the original series, Nico, isn’t confirmed queer until the second series, Heroes of Olympus. Even then, the character has a controversial storyline. Luckily, author Rick Riordan already created the solution without intending it. Riordan includes well-written queer characters in his sister series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. Because the book series exist within the same universe, one of the best LGBTQ+ characters, Alex Fierro, could appear in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

Alex Fierro Would Offer Much Needed Nonbinary Representation

In Gods of Asgard, Alex Fierro is a genderfluid demigod child of the Norse god Loki, and she uses she/he pronouns with the former as the default. She has a dynamic though guarded personality. Alex is sarcastic, snarky, and humorous with her friends. Even though she’s extremely tough, she also has an extremely sensitive side. Alex went through many of the traumas typical of trans kids prior to Hotel Valhalla, but she doesn’t let it define her. Ultimately, Alex shows that people don’t need one personality or identity to be valid. All of these things make Alex a positive nonbinary representation to include in Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

Since Magnus Chase is Annabeth’s cousin and Alex’s boyfriend, he could be the connecting point who brings Alex into the new series. While the pair don’t need a leading role, they could show up as recurring characters who help the main trio with their quest. Alex’s presence in Percy Jackson & the Olympians would help nonbinary and gender-non-conforming audience members feel seen. Moreover, she would normalize the existence of gender identities outside the binary – an essential step forward for Disney, who is notoriously stingy about queer characters. It could also open up the possibility of a spin-off Magnus Chase TV series.

Alex Could Make The Controversial Nico Storyline Better

One of the most problematic storylines in the Percy Jackson books is Cupid forcibly outing Nico. Plot arcs where a character gets outed need to be handled with sensitivity and extreme care because this can be a traumatic incident in real life. Sadly, Riordan tried but missed the mark by not showing the scene from Nico’s perspective and examining the aftermath. If Alex is introduced before this incident, she could potentially help fix the Nico storyline without the writers completely changing the event.

With a little more emphasis on the queer teen’s perspective, Cupid could still force Nico to disclose his sexuality to Jason in Disney’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Afterward, Nico could turn to Alex for support due to their shared experiences as LGBTQ+ characters. This would allow the show to examine the negative consequences of a person getting outed before they’re ready to disclose their sexual, romantic, or gender identity.