What is the future for Zeus in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2? Showrunners explain

Season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians came to an end on January 30, with Percy recovering Zeus's stolen lightning bolt and giving it back to the god-king, and averting a catastrophic war. Percy had been accused of stealing Zeus, the Greek god's thunderbolt, and he had to find it to bring peace back to Olympus.

Lance Reddick, who portrayed Zeus in the first season, unfortunately passed away in March 2023. He was known for his parts in Lost, The Wire, and the John Wick movie series. The Prophecy Comes True, the final episode, ended with Zeus remaining the king of Mount Olympus.

In Rick Riordan's highly successful book series, Zeus is a recurring, pivotal character. Since Reddick won't reprise the role, the Olympian king's part will need to be recast in the second season of the series, if and when it is made.

Showrunners Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz confirmed this in their interview with Variety. They admitted that since the show has not yet been renewed, they thankfully have the time to approach Reddick's character. The duo is contemplating moving ahead with Zeus, although with a new actor in mind.

"We’ll do the best we can to make sure that you feel him in whatever that character is moving forward."

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Will season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians feature Zeus?

Creators of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg remembered actor Lance Reddick in the season's finale, with a title card in the end credits reading: "In loving memory of Lance Reddick".

After losing a talented actor like Reddick, who they believed had wonderfully captured the essence of the role, Steinberg and Shotz were unsure about their feelings regarding Zeus being recast, as they revealed to Variety following the premiere of the most recent episode of the series.

Regarding the character's future in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Jon Steinberg stated in his interview,

"The way we tried to approach it in the past is that you are both trying to honour his performance and the character that he helped define and create, and also to make space for someone new to do the same thing, and to have some room for their voice to come through as well."

He explained that since Zeus won't be in the story immediately, they would have time to find someone suitable to portray the character.

"It’s difficult to have two different human beings inhabit the same character. But life happens, and sometimes that’s where you are. Fortunately, we have a little bit of time. Even once the process gets started, we don’t see Zeus again for a little bit, so we’ll have a minute to try to find the right fit."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Image via disney@IMDb)

According to Jon, it will be difficult to find someone who fits the role the way Lance did.

"I think his mark on that role will be felt with whoever steps into his shoes. It’s a tall order for anybody to try to live up to the performance of somebody else," Steinberg said.

He concluded by saying that nobody would want to step in Reddick's shoes, but they could make sure to find someone who could make the fans connect to him the way Reddick did.

Dan Shotz also added, talking about the last episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians in connection with Reddick's part.

"What’s nice about what’s gonna happen this week is that Lance Reddick will be immortalised as Zeus. Whatever takes place down the road, we can deal with."

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Final thoughts

It seems doubtful that Zeus will not be there in Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2, assuming it is greenlit, given his significant involvement in Books 3 and 5. Disney will soon have to recast the role, even if it seems difficult to replace Lance Reddick following his impressive performance.