Percy Jackson: First Look at Lance Reddick's Zeus

Percy Jackson and the Olympians uses its Greek gods sparingly, but whenever they are on screen, business is about to pick up. This is especially exemplified in the first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling book series, The Lightning Thief, as the big three gods of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have just a couple of chapters worth of page time combined. That said, their presence permeates throughout the entire book and the chapters that they do physically show up in are the most consequential. That structure seems to be echoed in Disney+'s Percy Jackson and the Olympians streaming series, as the aforementioned Zeus and Poseidon were only publicly confirmed to be on set just two weeks before Season 1 wrapped production, indicating that their screen time will be minimal.

First Look at Lance Reddick's Zeus in Percy Jackson

The pinstripe-clad god of lightning has arrived.

As showcased in the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians trailer, the late Lance Reddick makes his powerful debut as Zeus. His lone scene sees him stepping down from his throne on Mount Olympus as Sally Jackson (Virginia Kull) narrates that "the stories that I have told you (Percy) about Greek gods and half-bloods, they are real."

Zeus is one of the primary driving forces of Percy Jackson Season 1's plot. As chronicled in The Lightning Thief, Zeus's master bolt is stolen from Mount Olympus, leading the god of the skies to threaten war between himself and his godly counterparts if it is not returned by the Summer Solstice.

Rick Riordan's Tribute to Lance Reddick

Percy Jackson and the Olympians will be a posthumous role for Lance Reddick. The fan-favorite actor passed away in March at the age of 60.

"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," Riordan wrote in tribute to Reddick earlier this year. "As a fan, I will miss him terribly. As the creator of Percy Jackson, I will never see Zeus the same way again, and I feel so fortunate that our paths crossed, if only briefly." 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres on Disney+ on December 20th.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 is based off of the first novel in Rick Riordan's critically-acclaimed book series, The Lightning Thief. Starring Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) as the titular demigod, this eight-episode first season embarks Percy on a quest to return Zeus's stolen master bolt, as he is framed as the prime suspect. If he is not successful by the Summer Solstice deadline, the world bears the consequences of Mount Olympus in-fighting. The series also stars Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood), Leah Jeffries (Annabeth Chase), Glynn Turman (Chiron), Jason Mantzoukas (Dionysus), Dior Goodjohn (Clarisse La Rue), Charlie Bushnell (Luke), Adam "Edge" Copeland (Ares), Jay Duplass (Hades), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hermes), Timothy Omundson (Hephaestus), Lance Reddick (Zeus), and Toby Stephens (Poseidon).