Disney+’s Percy Jackson Casts Its Medusa and Echidna

Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues to round out its ensemble. The series cast Walker Scobell as its titular character earlier this year and added the talents of Leah Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) in the subsequent weeks. Supporting Camp Half-Blood demigods like Luke Castellan and Clarisse La Rue have also been found in the form of actors Charlie Bushnell and Dior Goodjohn, respectively. As Percy Jackson enters its back half of production, the series is bringing on some mighty names to fulfill some of its antagonistic roles.

Variety reports that Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley, Shameless) will guest star as Echidna, the mother of monsters. Fans will know Echidna as playing a prominent part in Percy’s trip to St. Louis in The Lightning Thief, the first installment of the Percy Jackson novels that Season 1 is set to be based on. Echidna teams with the Chimera to attack Percy and his friends on the Gateway Arch. It’s worth noting that scenes from the Gateway Arch have supposedly already been shot, as evident by prior set photos.

“Suzanne is not only a lovely person (with three kids who are all Percy fans) but an incredible actor who brought menace and magic to her portrayal of Echidna, the Mother of Monsters,” author and executive producer Rick Riordan wrote regarding Cryer’s casting. “Percy and the gang have their work cut out for them when they go toe-to-toe with this primordial force of nature.”

The report also shares that Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash, Black Sails) will guest star as Medusa, the serpent-haired lady with the power to turn her enemies to stone. Medusa pops up in the beginning chapters of The Lightning Thief, running Aunty Em’s Emporium. Even if her tenure is short-lived, Medusa plays an integral part throughout the events of the book. While this will be Echidna’s live-action debut, Medusa was previously portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 2010 film adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

“I can tell you this is one Aunty Em you do not want to mess with,” Riordan wrote. “Her poised, powerful, elegant take on Medusa blew me away! And wait until you see some of the statuary in her Garden Gnome Emporium…”

Cryer and Kennedy join Adam “Edge” Copeland, who will be playing Ares, as the show’s antagonists.

Percy Jackson is expected to film until January 2023 in Vancouver. Production is right on schedule as well, as Riordan shared that they have filmed up to Chapter 16 of the 22-chaptered Lightning Thief. Riordan did stress that the series does not necessarily film in chronological order, so it is unclear if Cryer and Kennedy’s episodes have already been shot.

While there is still significant scenes to be filmed and an extensive post-production process that has yet to commence, Riordan seems elated with how things are going so far.

“Long story short? I am happy with this show, folks,” Riordan wrote earlier this week. “And I think you will be too.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is expected to stream on Disney+ in 2024.