
With the premiere of Percy Jackson and the Olympians coming next week as part of the 2025 TV season, fans are eager to see the cast. One casting change is particularly poignant: following the sad passing of Lance Reddick in 2023, the role of Zeus needed to be recast. Courtney B. Vance was announced as the new Zeus about a year ago, and he’s now spoken about the experience of taking on the role.
While walking the blue carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Vance discussed his experience stepping into the role, as he told Deadline:
Honestly, stepping into this project under these circumstances wasn’t easy. The very first thing I did was express my gratitude to everyone and we all shared a moment of prayer together – it really meant a lot to all of us. I don’t take this opportunity lightly, and believe me, I’d much rather have the original leader still here. But the team welcomed me with open arms, and I made sure to honor his memory alongside them. It was a truly special and heartwarming moment.
Courtney B. Vance reportedly gave an inspiring speech to the cast and crew of Percy Jackson as a tribute to Lance Reddick when he started working on the show. According to executive producer Craig Silverstein, Vance became emotional while discussing the importance of honoring Reddick’s legacy and the weight of continuing his work.

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Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson books and a creative force behind the show, praised Courtney B. Vance’s performance as Zeus, calling him “incredible” and perfectly suited for the role. While Zeus isn’t a regular character in the Disney+ series, he’s a significant figure as the King of the Gods. Courtney B. Vance first appeared as Zeus in the first season’s finale, “The Prophecy Comes True,” when Percy travels to Olympus to return Zeus’s stolen Master Bolt.
It’s not yet clear which episode Courtney B. Vance will first appear as Zeus in the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but his daughter, Thalia, will be introduced during the season. We’ve gotten a glimpse of Thalia, played by Tamara Smart, in the recent trailer. As fans know from season one, Thalia died protecting other demigods at Camp Half-Blood, but Zeus preserved her spirit by transforming her into a tree at the camp’s entrance.
The cast of the series is growing with several exciting additions! Daniel Diemer will play Tyson, a Cyclops, while Andra Day will portray Athena, the mother of Annabeth. Margaret Cho, Kristen Schaal, and Sandra Bernhard will all appear as the Gray Sisters, and Rosemarie DeWitt will take on the role of Circe.
Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is based on the book Sea of Monsters. The first two episodes will be available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu starting December 10th, and new episodes will be released each week after that.
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2025-12-06 16:38