“When the season is working right”: 1 Major Aspect in Which the Percy Jackson’s Series Managed to Out Perform Marvel Shows
Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, the Percy Jackson series is already the most talked-about Disney show and is even overtaking some Marvel shows on the platform when it comes to popularity. Based on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson book series, the TV show has gained massive acclaim which has even surpassed the love the series’ film adaptations received. The series already had quite a positive reaction from critics, who deem it more faithful to the source material than any other adaptation so far.
The Percy Jackson series has done many things perfectly. However, there is one aspect of the show that gives it the extra push and helps it manage to outperform even Marvel.
The major reason behind the Percy Jackson series outperforming recent Marvel shows on Disney
To start off, Percy Jackson is an insanely popular book series that many generations grew up with. It is one of those books that has almost reached modern classic status. The rich Greek mythology and worldbuilding, followed by relatable young protagonists, made it one of the most famous YA franchises of all time.
One of the reasons why previous adaptations of Percy Jackson did not work is because people found the movies too restrictive. The main complaint behind it was that it did not follow the source material closely. However, with Percy Jackson now being a TV series, it had a wider aspect of fitting in more of the story in the adaptation.
Also Read: Rick Riordan Believes Disney+ Percy Jackson Reboot Will Erase The Abominable Movie Series
Also, in the new Percy Jackson series, the actors are much younger, making them more relatable and age-appropriate. However, that is not the main reason for the show to excel so well. The show actually handles topics like disability, identity, and mortality as well as many Marvel shows, if not better. Although the show is from a kid’s perspective, it does not restrict itself to one particular target audience. While talking to Inverse, Jon Steinberg says:
“When this season is working right, a parent can watch a scene with a kid and they can be hearing entirely different things happening and experiencing it in totally different ways.”
According to Steinberg, the production put “blood, sweat, guts, tears, excitement” into the show, and by the reaction of the fans, it seems like a price worth paying.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Disney discloses 6 striking characters
On December 12, 2023, Disney+ introduced six striking characters to the show. It includes Walker Scobell in the titular role of Percy Jackson, Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, the bull Minotaur, Megan Mullally as Alecto/Ms. Dodds, and Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa.
These actors and characters were announced on the Disney+ social media handle and have garnered quite a lot of reaction from the fans. The cast was mostly received positively, except for a racist backlash towards Leah Sava Jeffries, a black actress, being cast as Annabeth Chase. Riordan strongly condemned this uproar, saying that:
“The response to the casting of Leah has been overwhelmingly positive and joyous, as it should be. Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth’s strength. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be.”
Riordan wrote on his blog.
“If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. You have no one else to blame. Whatever else you take from this post, we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need to stop. Now.”
It was indeed admirable to see a show creator championing diversity in the reel as well as in real life.
The Percy Jackson series comes out on December 20, 2023
