Demigods and mortals alike are on high alert for news on the Disney+ adaptation of Rick Riordan’s beloved book series, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” (PJO). The revival of the beloved franchise is highly anticipated, especially as more project details are revealed. Riordan’s latest announcement on April 11 has 13-year-old Walker Scobell joining the ranks as the titular character Percy Jackson. Scobell joins the ranks of predecessors Logan Lerman and Chris McCarrell, who played Percy in the 2010 and 2013 films and the 2014 “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” respectively.
Scobell made his acting debut in the recent film “The Adam Project,” released on Netflix on March 9, where he and Ryan Reynolds shared a role, each playing a younger and older version of Adam Reed. Reynolds, known for his comedic sass in films such as “Deadpool” and “Free Guy,” fills the role of older Adam to the brim with cheek. Scobell, in turn, portrays a brazen younger Adam with all of the bark and bite that Reynolds has, and then some.
Percy Jackson, known lovingly to many of the series’ fandom as “Persassy Jackson,” is as sarcastic and audacious as they come. Given Scobell’s spectacular performance in his debut role and his chemistry with Reynolds, arguably the sassiest actor of all time, I have no doubt that he will channel this energy very well in the role, and I am not alone.
For some, the Disney+ series will be their first introduction to the Riordanverse. For others, including many who are now young adults, the series will be a revisit to their childhood and the strangely widespread, shared experience of a youthful obsession with mythology. Some have followed Percy Jackson through all his adaptations, whether it be Lerman, McCarrell or cosplayers’ fan-made content. Lerman’s older Percy won over people’s hearts; however, while the films were good on their own, fans heavily criticized them for their plots and timelines being so far off the books. Meanwhile, McCarrell’s singing Percy in “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” soothed fans from the burns of the maladaptation that were Lerman’s films — no offense to Lerman, right Percy, wrong framework — but ultimately left fans wanting more.
One of the most notable differences between the upcoming Disney+ series and its predecessors is the age-appropriate casting. The PJO series starts with Percy Jackson at the age of 12, while Scobell, in real life, is 13 years old. This is a huge shift in casting from Lerman, who at the age of 18 played a 16-year-old Percy finding out about his half-blood origins.
Due to the young nature of the cast, members of the Percy Jackson fandom started an online campaign called #PJOCastDeservesRespect. The campaign acknowledges the cast’s youth, aiming to prevent the soon-to-be demigods and Grover from cyberbullying and harassment. As one fan said on Twitter, “it’s very important that these kids will feel the love & safety that they deserve from our fandom, especially since they will be the start of something really special!” The campaign has been publicly supported by Becky Riordan, Rick Riordan’s wife, and has already been put to work in countering an impersonation situation.
When Scobell’s casting was announced on April 11, fans flocked to Twitter to congratulate Scobell and express their excitement for his future portrayal of the role. The Twitter account @Walker_Scobell replied to many congratulations with variations of “honored,” causing many people to believe that this was Scobell’s account. The account that had been reacting to congratulations on Scobell’s behalf turned out to be a fanpage run by an anonymous young person. Two days after the announcement, the page owner tweeted an apology, prompted by their mother, for imitating Scobell. Scobell soon clarified that his real account on Twitter is @walkerscobell3, which is now verified.
Some reacted to the impersonating account’s apology with forgiveness and understanding, keeping in mind that a child is also likely behind the fanpage. Many of the fan replies commended the account owner on owning up to his mistake, and even thanked him for the laughs and memories his short stint as Scobell gave to the fandom, telling of the welcoming and jovial aspects of the PJO community. However, the fan-run Percy Jackson Disney+ News Twitter account, in solidarity with the #PJOCastDeservesRespect campaign, has asked fans to report and unfollow the account to show respect to Scobell and his family.
While the folks who will be taking on the roles of Annabeth and Grover have yet to be announced, the Scobell impersonation already raises concerns for the treatment of the remaining young cast. Since this incident, the #PJOCastDeservesRespect campaign has gained even more support.
According to Barnes and Noble, Riordan’s PJO series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide as of 2015. Percy is a well-known character who many have already had the privilege of meeting on-page, on-screen and onstage. He is a character that many more deserve the privilege to meet, and I firmly believe that Scobell will do justice in introducing him to the newest generation of fans that the Disney+ series is sure to ensnare. To everyone who is new: welcome and make yourselves comfortable. To everyone who is returning to the series that once made you feel like home: hello again, we’ve missed you!
Dhanika Pineda is the 2021-2022 Managing Editor. She can be reached at manager@newuniversity.org.
