Percy Jackson & the Olympiansis already preparing for the introduction of a major season 3 character. Led by Walker Scobell (Percy), the series follows a group of three young heroes as they attempt to save the Greek world from a series of increasingly devastating threats. After a successful season 1,Percy Jacksonseason 2will premiere on December 10.
As the show follows young stars, the risk of characters aging out of their roles is immense. To alleviate that concern, Disney approved season 3 early, and it has already begun filming. This season will introduce a variety of new characters, including the legendary titan Atlas, who is cursed to forever hold up the skies.
In an interview withScreenRantfor the franchise’s 20th anniversary,Percy Jacksoncreator Rick Riordan explained that the Atlas introduction is “in process”. While there is no definitive answer about who will play Atlas, as the casting is still underway, Riordan is excited about introducing both the Titan and other major stars. Check out his quotes below:
ScreenRant: Around 30 Rock, there’s the statue of Atlas holding up the world. Season 3 is in production right now. I know we got Nico and Bianca casted. Are conversations happening about Atlas?
Rick Riordan: Yes. Conversations are happening. That is in process. I don’t know the answer yet, and if I did, I probably couldn’t tell you, but yes, it’s happening.
ScreenRant: Atlas is one of my most anticipated characters to see adapted because now we’re in completely uncharted territory. Obviously the movies were their own interpretation of the books, but still, there was a lot of mirrored scenes we saw in the movies. Going into season 3 now, we’ve never seen any of that before. Seeing Nico in live action is going to be, I can’t even put the words to describe it.
Rick Riordan: Yeah, I’ve seen the first dailies and I have to say, it gave me chills. It’s pretty great.
What This Means For Percy Jackson’s Atlas
In theoriginalPercy Jacksonseries, Atlas was first introduced inThe Titan’s Curse, the third book in the series. After having enraged Zeus during the gods' war against the Titans, Atlas was forced to hold the sky aloft, and its crushing weight meant that he could never move or wage war against the gods again.
The only way for Atlas to earn freedom from his torment was to pass his burden to another being. While demigods and immortals could hold the sky, few ever accepted the burden for fear of the agony and of remaining forever trapped. When he is introduced inThe Titan’s Curse, Atlas is desperate to shed his burden.
There is no way of knowing which actor Riordan and the crew will cast as Atlas, but his importance cannot be understated. As the titular character of the third book, he will naturally serve as the season’s main villain. That will make his casting essential to the season, so it makes some sense that Riordan is taking his time.
Our Take On Percy Jackson’s Atlas
Given Atlas' importance to the narrative, finding the right actor is essential. He needs to be both extremely manipulative and physically imposing. That balancing is challenging, especially as that Atlas will likely need to have a friendly demeanor initially, simply to convince his first victim to take his burden onto themselves.
Percy Jacksonseason 1 excelled at casting the gods, asLance Reddick’s Zeus alonewas a perfect adaptation. If the show is to continue to thrive, it will need to continue casting renowned actors as its immortals, especially when considering its villains. Atlas needs to be well-cast forPercy Jackson & the Olympiansseason 3 to remain effective.
