Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 was a resounding success for Disney, paving the way for a live-action adaptation of a forgotten book series. The popularity of the Percy Jackson book series has always been evident since they began in 2005. This popularity led to an initial batch of adaptations in 2010 and 2013 as feature films, though both installments of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series were received poorly for the egregious changes made to the source material.
Spawning out of this was the Disney+ show, with many now hoping for Percy Jackson season 2 updates in the wake of season 1’s finale. From the anticipation of season 2 to the positive fan reviews of Percy Jackson season 1’s episodes, it is clear how successful the adaptation was for Disney. When combined with the positive book changes made to better adapt Percy Jackson to the medium of TV and the strong critical reception of the show, the triumph of the show could herald a live-action adaptation of a forgotten, Percy Jackson-adjacent book series.
68 Biggest Changes Disney’s Percy Jackson Show Makes To The Books
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is being praised for its fidelity to the source material, though that does not mean there are no changes to the books.
Magnus Chase Could Bring Norse Mythology To Percy Jackson’s World
The forgotten book series in question is Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The Magnus Chase books are also written by Rick Riordan and take place in the same universe as the Percy Jackson series. However, where the Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series deals with Greek mythology, Magnus Chase blends the modern world with the Norse pantheon. From gods like Odin, Loki, Thor, Freyr, and Freya, Magnus Chase takes what Percy Jackson began and twists the Greek aspects to the world of Scandinavian myth.
Mythological Book Series By Rick Riordan | Mythological Origin |
|---|---|
Percy Jackson & the Olympians | Greek |
The Heroes of Olympus | Greek and Roman |
The Kane Chronicles | Egyptian |
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard | Norse |
The Trials of Apollo | Greek and Roman |
How Is Magnus Chase Connected To Percy Jackson?
As Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is set in the same universe as Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the question is raised over how the two are connected. On a broader level, the Norse and Greek mythological worlds of both franchises co-exist with one another with some slight differences to avoid major confusion. In the Percy Jackson book series, the Greek pantheon and their associated myths and legends have essentially fused with the world of the modern United States.
The gods, monsters, and demigods spawning from Greek mythology – and Roman when involving The Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo – exist within the United States. While many mortals cannot interact with the magical world of Percy Jackson, both realms exist together whereas Magnus Chase‘s world is somewhat different. The Magnus Chase books follow the concept of Norse mythology’s Nine Realms, with Earth being one of these. This allows the Norse gods to travel to Earth and sire demigod children, though most of the Magnus Chase stories are confined to the other Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
From Asgard and Jotunheim to Niflheim and Vanaheim to name a few, the Nine Realms of Norse mythology often house the stories of Magnus Chase;’s various adventures. This allows those books to stand separately from Percy Jackson while being set in the same universe with some connections. For example, one of these connections is that the titular Magnus is the cousin of Percy Jackson‘s Annabeth Chase. Annabeth’s father is the brother of Magnus’ mother, the latter of whom sired a child with the Norse god Freyr, while the former had Annabeth with the Greek goddess Athena.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians’ Greek God Family Tree Explained
Family is a central theme in Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+, but the connections between all the characters are quite complex.
Why A Magnus Chase Disney Show Could Work After Percy Jackson’s Success
With Percy Jackson and the Olympians proving to be such a success for Disney, it is almost guaranteed that a Magnus Chase show would work. For one, the simple premise of Rick Riordan’s universe – that is the blending of modern and mythological worlds – has proven to be endearing. The worldbuilding of Percy Jackson season 1 was one of the show’s strongest aspects, a worldbuilding model that the Magnus Chase books share with their peers. This alone proves that a Magnus Chase show could work, given the overall compelling premise of Percy Jackson translates well to the former.
Furthermore, the endlessly popular concept of mythology proves Magnus Chase would work. Franchises like Percy Jackson, the MCU with its Norse gods, and the various other video games, movies, and TV shows that are versed in mythology all support the idea that another long-form show from Riordan’s mind could work. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard could be this next franchise, depending on the continued success of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Based on the novel series by Rick Riordan Percy Jackson & the Olympians is an action-adventure fantasy television series created for Disney+. When Percy Jackson is framed for the theft of Zeus’ almighty thunderbolt, Percy must clear his name, all while harnessing the powers inherited by his father, Poseidon, at a camp created for demi-gods.
- Release Date
- December 20, 2023
- Cast
- Walker Scobell , Leah Sava Jeffries , Aryan Simhadri , Jason Mantzoukas , Megan Mullally , Glynn Turman , Adam Copeland , Virginia Kull , Lance Reddick
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney Plus
