Credit: LionsgateNow that the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is over, the time has come to address the passing of the late Lance Reddick. Fortunately, it seems the showrunners already have a plan for Zeus.
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Based on the novels by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the newest hit show on Disney+, garnering critical acclaim and millions of viewers.
A large part of this is due to its incredible cast, which includes Walker Scobell as Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson, Toby Stephens as the Greek god Poseidon, and Jason Mantzoukas.
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One of the highlights of the series was Lance Reddick as Zeus. A beloved actor most known for his performances in the John Wick films, Fringe, and The Wire, Reddick but a much-needed grandiosity and sense of control to the king of the gods.
Tragically, the White House Down (2013) actor died shortly after filming this role. While this is certainly sad, showrunners Dan Shotz and Jon Steinberg know what they must do to keep the Disney+ original series going.
‘Percy Jackson’ Showrunners Have Time To Find a New Zeus
In an interview with Variety, executive producers Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz spoke about the future of the Percy Jackson TV show, specifically how they will handle the tragic Lance Reddick situation. Since they have both dealt with this problem before on Black Sails.
“The way we tried to approach it in the past is that you are both trying to honor 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. It’s difficult to have two different human beings inhabit the same character. But life happens, and sometimes that’s where you are.”
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Replacement seems obvious since Zeus plays such an important part in the Percy Jackson series. Still, it will be difficult to replace someone as memorable as Lance Reddick. But no matter what happens, his performance as the Greek god of thunder and lightning will live on forever. And Dan Shotz agrees.
“What’s nice about what’s gonna happen this week is that Lance Reddick will be immortalized as Zeus. Whatever takes place down the road, we can deal with.”
What is your favorite Lance Reddick performance? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below.