Disney's Epic Fantasy Series Returning Next Week Has One Of Its Best Casts

Disney's epic fantasy series returning next week has one of the genre's most impressive casts. Since HBO's unprecedented success with Game of Thrones, darker, adults-only high fantasy has dominated the small screen, from Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher. Slowly but surely, though, family-friendly fantasy stories have become a priority once more.

HBO's Harry Potter remake arrives next month, while Greta Gerwig's take on The Chronicles of Narnia will launch a new era for Netflix in 2027. However, Disney led the pack by releasing a second adaptation of one of the most beloved book franchises of all time. Despite the issues plaguing the previous Percy Jackson movie duology (including but not limited to certain casting choices), Disney's small-screen adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been a rousing success.

Author Rick Riordan is more involved, and the show is much more faithful to the books, as demigods Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and protector Grover (Aryan Simhadri) embark on epic quests to save the world from the Greek pantheon's wrath. It's essentially a 21st-century, all-ages version of The Odyssey, as Percy and his friends confront ancient legends like Medusa, Polyphemus, Circe, and even the gods themselves: Percy's dad, Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Hermes, Athena, and more.

Scobell, Jeffries, and Simhadri are charming as Riordan's Golden Trio. Scobell's Percy is wonderfully sarcastic and effortlessly brave. Jeffries' Annabeth is resilient and wise. Simhadri's Grover is loyal and optimistic. Percy Jackson and the Olympians' supporting cast elevates the show, though. No matter how brief their role, each monster, legend, and god makes an impact, and the series has pulled in some pretty impressive talent to play them.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians Has A Stacked Supporting Cast

For much of the series, the gods of Olympus are shadowy threats, sending other monsters to do their bidding while the kids risk their lives to squash their petty, world-ending family feuds. That makes their appearances all the more impactful. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Hermes, the god of liars, thieves, and messengers, with cunning underhandedness. Jason Mantzoukas plays Dionysus, the god of wine and general merriment, with the same chaotic energy he brought to his roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place. The god of war, Ares, is played by pro-wrestler Adam Copeland, as hard-headed and imposing as you'd expect.

Then there's the big three: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Together, they rule the Heavens, the Earth, and the Underworld, their fraternal feud causing much of the turmoil on Olympus. In season 1, the legendary Lance Reddick played Zeus, his outwardly calm demeanor suitably terrifying. After Reddick's untimely death, the show cast award-winner Courtney B. Vance, whose performance is both a moving tribute to Reddick and a compelling new take on the character. Hades, played by Jay Duplass, makes the god of the dead feel terrifying yet oddly personable at the same time. It's impossible to predict what he'll do next.

The most important god casting, however, is undoubtedly Percy's father, Poseidon. Who is more suited to play the king of the sea than Black Sails' very own Captain Flint? Stephens has a tough balance to strike as Poseidon, but manages it beautifully. He needs to be steadfast and imposing, yet show genuine care and love for Percy and his mother, Sally (Virginia Kull). His limited scenes are fantastic, and he's coming back for more in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3.

Season 3 will also be the first time all 12 Greek pantheon gods will appear. Five new deities will be joining the fun, including newcomer Hunter Smielecki as Apollo, the god of healing, music, and archery; Logan and His Dark Materials star Dafne Keen as Apollo's twin, Artemis, goddess of the hunt; '80s icon Jennifer Beals will play Demeter, goddess of the harvest; Disney legend Ming-Na Wen will be Hera, Queen of Olympus and protector of women and children; and last but certainly not least, SNL star Kate McKinnon will portray Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Percy Jackson Season 3 Will Be The Biggest (And Darkest) Season Yet

More gods mean a bigger story, as the war between Olympus and the Titan King, Kronos, leaks into the wider world. The third season, based on the third book in Riordan's Olympians series, The Titan's Curse, sees Annabeth go missing, just as a pantheon goddess faces great danger. Naturally, Percy vows to find Annabeth first, plunging the characters into a darker, more mature storyline. This is when Percy Jackson and the Olympians becomes an epic Greek myth of its own, rather than a compilation of other ancient stories.

"Our job is to adapt the books, and the books get darker," executive producer Craig Silverstein explained (via Disney). Percy Jackson and the Olympians seasons 1 and 2 were the introduction, but as the kids grow, so do their challenges. Characters will no longer be guaranteed safety. Percy will have to work with people he can't trust and deal with a prophecy that might change his life — and the world — forever. If anyone can handle it, however, it's Perseus Jackson. No one is more determined or impertinent than this young and forbidden demigod.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3 premieres Friday, November 20, on Disney+.