‘Percy Jackson’ Recasts Lance Reddick’s Character for Season 2

Percy Jackson and the Olympians has found a new Zeus following the death of Lance Reddick. The John Wick star passed away in March 2023 at 60, not long after production wrapped on the first season of the Disney+ fantasy series. According to Variety, Tony and Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance will be taking over the role of the Greek God in the upcoming second season.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to join the extraordinary cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians!” Vance said in a statement. “There are few moments in an actor’s career when you can honestly say that you’re about to board a series that has such a devoted fan base filled with characters beloved around the world and is based on a wildly successful book series. I know that stepping into this role of Zeus will be a memorable experience, and I’ll be giving my brother, Lance Reddick, who left us way too soon, a heavenly hug.”

Based on the beloved book series of the same by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians centers on the 12-year-old titular demigod who is accused by Zeus of stealing his thunderbolt and races to find it and restore order to Olympus. In the second season, based on The Sea of Monsters, Percy “returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.”

Vance is best known for films such as The Hunt for Red October, The Preacher’s Wife, and The Adventures of Huck Finn and shows Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The People vs. OJ Simpson, and Lovecraft Country. He can most recently be seen in FX’s Grotesquerie and AMC and The CW’s 61^st Street. He is set to appear in the live action Lilo & Stitch film as social worker Cobra Bubbles, releasing in theaters on May 23, 2025. Vance joins Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Dior Goodjohn, and Charlie Bushnell on the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, set to premiere in 2025.

“The day we lost Lance Reddick, we lost an icon. Getting to work with this fierce and gentle talent in one of his last roles as Zeus in Percy Jackson and the Olympians was truly awe-inspiring,” co-showrunner Dan Shotz said. “I felt so fortunate to watch this man stand tall on Mt. Olympus, but more importantly, I felt lucky to be able to call him a friend. Finding someone to step into this role going forward was not an easy task, but when icon Courtney B. Vance answered the call, we knew the Gods were listening. This legend of cinema not only wanted to honor the books but wanted to honor Lance’s legacy. We can’t wait for you all to see him take the throne.”