"I wont lie they ate this up"— Fans react as Percy Jackson and the Olympians casts Courtney B. Vance as Zeus after Lance Reddick's death

Hit Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the Olympians recently cast Courtney B. Vance as Zeus, and social media had a lot to say. Lance Reddick, who initially played Zeus on Percy Jackson and the Olympians, passed away at the age of 60 on March 17, 2023. Reddick played the role for the show's only season up until now. According to his death certificate, the actor passed away from ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.

The show's official Instagram handle announced on Monday, November 25, that Courtney Bernard Vance of The Hunt for Red October would be filling in for Reddick. In a statement to Variety, published on the same day, the actor expressed his excitement at getting to play Zeus and proclaimed that he would be giving Reddick "a heavenly hug."

A slew of social media users wholly approved of the show's choice to pick Courtney B. Vance. One X user exclaimed:

X users were on board with the recast (Image via X/@updatespercy)

Similar reactions followed as social media users expressed their "love" for Courtney B. Vance. Some users even thanked the showrunners for such a casting choice.

"Oh, they ate this so bad," said one X user.

"thank you thank you thank you," added another user.

"Love this casting choice!" exclaimed another netizen.

Although netizens were excited about the casting choice, social media users also made sure to pay their respects to Lance Reddick.

"R.I.P Lance Reddick, May the god's sanctuary his peace and wealth. He’ll always be the first to be the one and only Zeus," proclaimed one X user.

"He will be great i am sure. But also i will miss reddick..He did such a great job. It was such a small role in Season 1 with just the few scenes and he cooked so damn much," added another user.

"Let’s goooo omg. RIP Lance the goat," said yet another netizen.

"Always been a big fan of his. Lance will be missed, and Courtney will be fantastic! That said, it's curious that they announced it this early. Zeus does not appear in SOM books from what I recall, so I'm guessing we're getting some added scenes?" wondered one X user.

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"I know that stepping into this role of Zeus will be a memorable experience"— Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance's casting as Zeus on Percy Jackson and the Olympians was confirmed by the show's executive producer, Dan Shotz, in an Instagram post. The post declared, "Courtney B. Vance is Zeus," alongside a picture of the actor.

"Finding someone to step into this role going forward was not an easy task, but when icon Courtney B. Vance answered the call, we knew the Gods were listening. This legend of cinema not only wanted to honor the books, but wanted to honor Lance’s legacy. We can’t wait for you all to see him take the throne," Shotz said.

The actor himself opened up about being a part of the show in an official statement to Variety. Vance expressed his excitement at joining an "extraordinary cast" and stated:

"There are few moments in an actor’s career when you can honestly say that you’re about to board a series that has such a devoted fan base filled with characters beloved around the world and is based on a wildly successful book series."

He added:

"I know that stepping into this role of Zeus will be a memorable experience and I’ll be giving my brother, Lance Reddick, who left us way too soon, a heavenly hug."

The mastermind behind the Percy Jackson IP and the show's co-creator, Rick Riordan, was also quoted by the publication, stating that the crew was "excited and fortunate" to have Vance on board. The author called Vance's casting "truly a gift from the gods."