Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 will see all 12 Olympian gods from the books by Rick Riordan assemble on screen for the first time in the live-action Disney+ series, and there are some big names, both returning and debuting, in the roles. At the recent Percy Jackson D23 panel, executive producer Dan Shotz described Season 3 as the one where “we meet all the gods.” This is unsurprising to book fans, as there is a scene near the end of The Titan’s Curse (the book that Season 3 will adapt) in which all 12 titular Olympians convene in the gods’ throne room to determine whether Percy and Thalia should be executed.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 premieres on Disney+ on November 20. It will star Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Tamara Smart, and Levi Chrisopulos in main roles. The season will also feature several guest stars, including the 12 actors playing the Olympian gods.
All the Olympian Gods in Percy Jackson Season 3
Zeus – Courtney B. Vance
First appearing as Zeus in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, Courtney B. Vance took over the role from the late Lance Reddick, who played the leader of the gods in Season 1. Vance is known for roles like ADA Ronald ‘Ron’ Carver in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Seaman Jones in The Hunt for Red October, among many others.
While in the Percy Jackson book series, Zeus is never particularly nice to Percy, he is not exactly a villain either. The end of Season 2 introduced a new twist that makes Zeus appear more malevolent than in the books, revealing that he did not turn Thalia into a tree to save her. Rather, he did it to martyr her, hoping that down the road she would be brought back and easily fill the role of the child of the Great Prophecy that she did not want.
Poseidon – Toby Stephens
Much of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians creative team also worked on the Starz series Black Sails, so it seems a natural fit that Toby Stephens, who starred in the pirate drama, would take on the role of Poseidon, god of the sea, in their next nautical project.
Stephens appeared as Percy’s godly parent, Poseidon, in both Seasons 1 and 2 of the Disney+ show and will be returning for Season 3. While not necessarily the most present parent, Poseidon tends to be kind toward Percy and seems to care about his son, unlike many of the Olympians on this list.
Athena – Andra Day
While Andra Day’s Athena debuted in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2, in its interpretation of the fan-favorite siren scene, Annabeth’s godly parent has not yet actually appeared in the Disney+ series. Athena’s only actual appearance so far turned out to be a vision Annabeth had during the siren attack on her and Percy’s journey into the Sea of Monsters.
The R&B singer will appear once again as the goddess of wisdom in Percy Jackson Season 3 in a scene where the gods all convene onscreen for the first time. In the books, this scene also marks Percy’s first time meeting his future girlfriend’s mother.
Ares – Adam Copeland
Also known as the wrestler Edge, Adam Copeland has appeared in both Seasons 1 and 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians as the god of war, Ares, and he will be returning in the show’s third season as well. The last time he interacted with Percy in Season 1, the young demigod beat him in hand-to-hand combat after it was revealed that he and Luke Castellan were working together to steal Zeus’ lightning bolt.
Ares’ role in Season 3 will likely not be nearly as significant as it was in Seasons 1 or 2, wherein he only appeared in one episode. But his presence was felt throughout his daughter Clarisse’s storyline, which was a major focus of the season. Still, he does appear in the books with Aphrodite to give a warning to those on the quest, and he will no doubt be an entertaining addition to the star-studded Olympian throne room scene.
Dionysus – Jason Mantzoukas
Another Olympian to be in all three seasons of the Percy Jackson Disney+ series, Dionysus, played by Jason Mantzoukas, is easily the god Percy interacts with most closely in both the books and the show. Punished by Zeus to be the director of Camp Half-Blood, Dionysus is more commonly referred to as Mr. D by the demigods he often seems to hate.
Mr. D plays a fairly significant role early in The Titan’s Curse, attempting to stop Percy from leaving Camp without permission to join the quest to save Annabeth, and, in doing so, revealing some of his backstory and the reasoning behind his disdain for demigods. Later in the story, Percy ends up in a tight spot and needs to pray to the god of wine for help, which he extends before sharing an uncharacteristically sweet moment with Percy. Admittedly, later on, he votes to execute Percy and Thalia, claiming no love for either of them.
Hermes – Lin-Manuel Miranda
Known for writing the music for the likes of Moana and Encanto, as well as writing and starring in Broadway hits such as Hamilton and In the Heights, Miranda will appear as Hermes in Percy Jackson and the Olympiansfor the third season in a row.
Hermes does not have a major role in the third Percy Jackson book, so it is possible Miranda will only appear in that one throne room scene. But his presence may be felt in the story beyond that, as he is Luke’s godly parent. Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke, revealed at D23 that fans can expect to see more of Luke’s story in the third season than is in the third book, as the show expands outside of Percy’s first-person perspective. Given the importance of Luke’s relationship (or lack thereof) with his estranged father in the demigod’s story, it is possible that Hermes could be more present in Season 3 than book fans might expect.
Hephaestus – Timothy Omundson
First appearing as Hephaestus in Season 1’s reimagined Waterland sequence, Timothy Omundson will return to the role in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3. The actor is best known for roles in shows such as Psych and Judging Amy.
Though only appearing in the throne room scene in the book, Hephaestus is the owner of the junkyard Percy, Thalia, Grover, Zoë, and Bianca encounter during their quest, wherein the heroes face one of his automatons, Talos. It is possible that, like in Season 1 with Waterland, the story could be altered so that the god appears alongside his creations. Regardless, Omundson will at the very least be present for the throne room scene and is among the gods who vote for Percy and Thalia to live.
Artemis – Dafne Keen
Artemis, goddess of the hunt, is perhaps the most important Olympian in the story of The Titan’s Curse, and she will be played by Dafne Keen in her first appearance in Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+. Unlike most gods, Artemis has no demigod children. Rather, she leads an all-women team of warriors called the Hunters of Artemis.
After Artemis and the Hunters save Percy and friends (sans Annabeth, who is missing for much of The Titan’s Curse) from a manticore, the goddess sets off to find a monster with the capability to destroy Mount Olympus. She finds herself in danger, and the story’s main quest involves rescuing both her and Annabeth from Mount Tamalpais, where the two (alongside Luke and eventually Percy) had to take on Atlas’ curse to hold up the sky.
Aphrodite – Kate McKinnon
Aphrodite, played by Kate McKinnon, will make her first appearance in Percy Jackson and the Olympians in an iconic Season 3 scene featured in the new season’s recent trailer. The goddess of love encounters Percy and talks to him about how she is invested in his love life, particularly as it relates to Annabeth, but that she will not be making it easy for him.
It is worth noting that in the book, Aphrodite takes on multiple appearances, including one that is said to resemble Annabeth. While McKinnon will be the main actress for Aphrodite, it is possible that others will also be playing the goddess.
Hera – Ming-Na Wen
Known for roles in Agents of SHIELD, Mulan, and much more, Ming-Na Wen will make her first appearance as Hera in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3. Zeus’ wife and queen of the gods, Hera, has no demigod children herself, and, in the books, only appears in the throne room scene.
However, as Wen pointed out by calling Hera (per CBR) “the ultimate villain role,” Hera is among the cruelest of the gods in the Percy Jackson books. But the character’s actual villainy is not key to the plot until later books (and, therefore, later seasons if the show is renewed past Season 3). Notably, she and Annabeth hate one another with a burning passion.
Apollo – Hubert Jerzyk Smielecki
TikTok star and model Hubert Jerzyk Smielecki will play Apollo in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3, marking only his second professional screen role (previously, he played Randall Kirkland in Ransom Canyon).
The sun god first appears when his twin sister Artemis calls upon him to take Percy, Thalia, Grover, Nico, Bianca and the Hunters to Camp Half-Blood in his chariot after the encounter with the manticore. During the quest to rescue Annabeth and Artemis, Apollo disguises himself as a homeless man named Fred and directs Percy to find Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea, hoping to help the hunters and demigods save his sister.
Demeter – Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals, known for roles in projects such as Flashdance and The L Word, will appear as Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the harvest, in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3.
In The Titan’s Curse, Demeter only appears in the throne room as one of the votes to save Percy and Thalia but has a much more significant role in the fifth Percy Jackson book, The Last Olympian. Given Beals’ casting, though, it is likely that Demeter’s role in the throne room scene will be at least slightly bigger than it is in the book.
