Percy Jackson and the Olympians Creator on Losing Lance Reddick’s Zeus

One of the biggest shocks to come out of the weekend was that actor Lance Reddick has passed away. Reddick has multiple other projects set to come out, and Rick Riordan, the creator of Percy Jackson and the Olympians has released a statement following the loss of the series’ Zeus played by Reddick.

Riordan wrote on his blog:

I met Lance on set just a few months ago, and he could not have been more wonderful and welcoming. His gravitas and regal bearing made him perfect for the king of the gods, but from what I could tell, in person he was nothing like the blustery and distant sky god. He had a marvelous and quirky sense of humor. He was thoughtful, caring and piercingly perceptive. He was a multi-faceted artist who elevated every part he played from Cedric Daniels in The Wire to Charon in John Wick to Zeus in our own show.

Riordan didn’t give any news as to whether the part of Zeus would be recast moving forward, but he did continue the statement:

It will be difficult working on those scenes in which Lance appears — not just because we mourn him, but because they will remind us of how much brilliance we have lost. At least it’s comforting to know that we’ll be able to share that performance with Lance’s millions of fans, and we will get to see his artistry in action one more time.

Disney has yet to release any teasers featuring the cast of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but for sure fans are going to be sad to see that Reddick will only be appearing in the first season.

If anything, this does pose another similarity between Percy Jackson and the Harry Potter franchise. Richard Harris had originally played Dumbledore when the Wizarding World started, but his death resulted in the part being taken over by Michael Gambon. We don’t know whose going to take over the part of Zeus moving forward, but he will definitely have big shoes to fill with Reddick gone.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is set to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024.