Lin Manuel Miranda Boards The Disney+ Percy Jackson Series
Musical theatre fans certainly have something to sing about — "Hamilton" mastermind Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined the cast of Disney+'s "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series as key Olympian deity, Hermes (per Deadline). Despite having been an actor since "The Sopranos" was on TV, he is mostly known for his work behind the scenes for films like "Moana," "Tick, Tick... Boom," "Encanto," and the upcoming "The Little Mermaid" live-action remake — apart from "Hamilton," of course. In "Percy Jackson," however, Miranda's duties will likely have him on screen for several seasons to come.
As relayed by The Wrap, Disney's official synopsis for the series states that it will tell "the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who's just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt."
This likely means the first season of the series will adapt "The Lightning Thief," the first book in the sprawling saga of Percy and his friends. The same story was previously covered in a Broadway musical, as well as the loose 2010 film adaptation of the same name (starring Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario). The film was followed by one sequel, 2013's "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters." In this franchise, Hermes was played by Dylan Neal in the first film, before being replaced by Nathan Fillion for its sequel. With Miranda now taking over the role, it's likely the series has big plans for the character — despite him not being an original member of its first story.
Hermes is key to one of the series' central ideas
Despite now appearing in both adaptations of "The Lightning Thief," Hermes is actually absent from the narrative of the original book. Hermes doesn't appear in person until its follow-up, "Sea of Monsters," wherein he begins to intervene in Percy's quest with the hope that his son, Luke Castellan, can be redeemed for his treacherous actions. Luke is the somewhat tragic villain of the "Percy Jackson" series and the secret primary antagonist of the "Lightning Thief" storyline. In the Disney+ series, Luke will be played by "Diary of a Future President" actor Charlie Bushnell.
It's hard to say what Hermes' role will be in this iteration of the franchise, though it's likely they will use the expanded serialized format as an opportunity to establish Hermes as an important figure early in the narrative — perhaps they will even dig deeper into his strained relationship with his son.
Throughout the remainder of the books, Hermes drifts between being a key ally to an ancillary supporter of Percy's quests, which often put the child at odds with the stringent gods on Mount Olympus. In "The Last Olympian" (the final chapter of the initial series), however, Hermes' arc represents the neglect felt by demigod children abandoned by their all-mighty parents.
It's possible — perhaps even likely — that the Disney+ series will diverge from this storyline, but fans new and old will have to wait until its release in 2024 to find out.