Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins Disney+'s Percy Jackson as Hermes

By Liam Crowley

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is in the back half of its production, but the upcoming streaming show continues to add talent to its ensemble. Casting kicked off earlier this year when it was announced that The Adam Project standout Walker Scobell would be taking on the titular role. From there, Leah Jeffries (Beast) and Aryan Simhadri (Cheaper by the Dozen) rounded out the core trio as Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, respectively, while veteran actors such as Glynn Turman and Jason Mantzoukas were brought on to fulfill positions of power at Camp Half-Blood. The castings have gone beyond the haven for demigods as well, as WWE Hall of Famer Adam "Edge" Copeland was brought in to play the god of war, Ares.

Now, Olympus has found yet another god. Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda has been cast as Hermes, the messenger god, in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Fans of the Percy Jackson books will recognize Hermes as one of the most integral supporting characters in the series. While he is not a member of the big three, Hermes is prominently featured due to his parental connection with series antagonist, Luke Castellan. Luke, who will be played by Charlie Bushnell in the series, leads a crusade against the gods that is born mostly out of the fact that his father, Hermes, was not there for him growing up. 

While Hermes sits on Mount Olympus, he makes his most prominent appearances in The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, and The Last Olympian. Considering these first eight episodes are adapting The Lightning Thief, author and executive producer Rick Riordan acknowledged this change on his blog.

"Now you book fans may be thinking, 'Wait a minute. Hermes doesn't appear until the second book, The Sea of Monsters.' You are correct. But remember when I told you we are adding new glimpses of backstory, Easter eggs, and other nuances to enhance the narrative while remaining true to the original storyline?" Riordan wrote. "This is a prime example. When you see the episode in question, it will make sense why we introduced Hermes early."

This is a strong indicator that fans might see that "glimpse of backstory" of Hermes and Luke as early as Season 1. There is a crucial chapter between the two in The Last Olympian, and there's a chance that this live-action adaptation features a taste of that well before the full moment unravels down the line.

While episodes are far from a polished product at this time, Riordan has been in awe of what he has seen so far. 

"Wait until you see him with Percy and Annabeth. Wow," Riordan continued. "The best part was watching him work with our young stars — what an incredible experience for them and for us! We all agreed we can't wait for season two! Fingers perpetually crossed, of course."

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

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