'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Cast Teases Bigger, Darker, More Epic Season 3

Entertainment September 8, 2026 7 min. read The demigod Percy Jackson has faced monsters, gods, and Titans — but nothing has prepared him for what's coming in Season 3 of the Children & Family Emmy® Award-winning series Percy Jackson and the Olympians , premiering November 20 on Disney+. Based on The Titan's Curse , the third installment of Disney Hyperion's bestselling book series by acclaimed author Rick Riordan, Season 3 finds Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) facing a quest unlike any other. Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries) has suddenly gone missing, a legendary goddess is in danger, and new demigods are discovering their identities. There's also the Great Prophecy, which divines that one child of the Big Three (Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades) will determine the fate of Olympus. That demigod could raise Olympus to new heights or bring it crashing down, with their life hanging in the balance. For Percy, though, the most immediate concern is much simpler: getting Annabeth back. 'It's similar to how Grover's disappearance affected him [in Season 2]. There's not a question in his mind: 'Let's go get her back,'' Scobell said in an interview at D23: the Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 'My favorite part about playing Percy is that every single time one of these things happens, there is rarely a moment where it seems impossible, because that just doesn't cross his mind. All he's thinking about is getting her back, so it's really fun to play it like, 'Oh, she's gone? Time to go get her back.' There is no question in his mind.' 'From the beginning, and all the way through, the show orbits the relationship between Percy and Annabeth,' executive producer Jon Steinberg said. 'We just got two seasons of them realizing how important they are to each other, realizing how much they rely on each other to be the best version of themselves. What happens when they're apart? What will they do to get back together? How will they function without the influence of the other?' That question will become especially important as Percy embarks on a dangerous journey that brings together familiar faces and also introduces an exciting new group of characters. Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri) Season 3 widens the series' scope in several ways, with the characters Thalia Grace (Tamara Smart), Nico di Angelo (Levi Chrisopulos), Bianca di Angelo (Olive Abercrombie), Zoë Nightshade (Saara Chaudry), and Artemis (Dafne Keene) playing central roles in the story. For Aryan Simhadri, returning as Grover Underwood meant getting to spend considerably more time with the core cast after his Season 2 storyline kept him largely MIA. 'It was weird being on set full-time again,' he said. 'Season 2, I was away for so much of it, so getting to really be a part of the day-to-day on set took a little bit of getting used to. But once you're in it, you're in it.' His favorite scenes in Season 3 are with Thalia. 'In Season 2, he felt like what happened to her was his fault — so seeing them reunite is going to be really special.' Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) and Thalia (Tamara Smart) Thalia's arrival adds a new dynamic to the group — and to Percy's life. As another child of the Big Three, she is connected to the same prophecy that has placed such a burden on Percy. They don't always see eye to eye — and, for Smart, that friction was part of the fun. 'A new character can bring so many new dynamics, and that's something exciting as an actor to explore, because it means I get to have chats with each and every person to talk about how we think their relationship should be, who they are as characters, and how that kind of messes and intertwines with each other,' Smart said. 'Thalia is a troublemaker, so I was definitely looking forward to being a bit of a rebel and just seeing where I could land.' Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell) Meanwhile, Luke Castellan (Charlie Bushnell) remains caught in a dangerous relationship with Kronos (Nick Boraine). 'We really established the power dynamic between Luke and Kronos at the end of Season 2. It's very clear that Kronos is still in charge,' Bushnell said. 'It's kind of ironic that Luke is trying to take down the gods, but at the same time, he's being manipulated by another higher power.' Bushnell added that Luke's choices remain his own, even as the character finds himself deeper in Kronos' influence. 'I think people should give Luke a little bit of grace, even though some of his actions are inexcusable,' he said. 'Obviously, he does have a choice, but at this point, he might be too deep in it now.' Nico di Angelo (Levi Chrisopulos), Bianca di Angelo (Olive Abercrombie), and the Hunters of Artemis Among Season 3's most anticipated additions are siblings Nico and Bianca di Angelo. Chrisopulos and Abercrombie were both newcomers to Percy Jackson and the Olympians , and their real-life friendship became an important part of bringing the characters to life. 'I joined the cast before Olive joined the cast — just a few days before,' Chrisopulos explained. 'It was nice to have someone else who was new sharing that journey together.' Abercrombie recalled being 'nervous' when she first met her on-screen brother, but the feeling didn't last long. 'There was an instant click because we're both very similar,' she said. 'We hung out off set as much as possible. He is like my little brother in real life now.' Zoë Nightshade (Saara Chaudry) Season 3 also introduces audiences to the Hunters of Artemis, with Zoë Nightshade (Saara Chaudry) serving as Artemis' lieutenant. Bringing Zoë to the screen for the first time required Chaudry to dig deep into a character whose history spans several thousand years. 'Getting to know Zoë was such a process, and I think really understanding her backstory and all of the things that have made her the person that she is was really, really important,' Chaudry said. 'Diving deep into her history, and understanding her over 2,000 years of lived experience, ultimately informed every single scene and decision we made with her.' Artemis, meanwhile, brings a powerful new presence. 'It's very different, so it was very exciting,' Keene said. 'I'm a big Greek mythology nerd, so I was just very happy to be here.' As for what fans can expect from Artemis, Keene offered one tantalizing tease: 'She's very removed from mortal affairs. It's very rare for her to come into these kinds of scenarios, which is quite cool. And I'll add that she's pretty badass! She has some pretty cool moves.' As the young heroes grow older, so too does the world around them. Executive producer Craig Silverstein said the shift in tone is a natural progression for the series. 'We're always talking about, 'What is too dark, too scary?' But our job is to adapt the books, and the books get darker,' he said. 'The stakes get higher as the books go on, and thankfully the cast and the characters age, so a more mature tone makes sense. We approached it carefully, but we knew what we were dealing with right from the beginning.' Executive producer Dan Shotz said Season 3 reflects that evolution, with 'more mature' storytelling, 'greater stakes,' a larger ensemble, and a dramatically expanded mythology. Season 3 adds several Olympians to the story, including Hera (Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen), Aphrodite (Kate McKinnon), Demeter (Jennifer Beals), and Apollo (Hubert Smielecki), growing the divine side of the Percy Jackson pantheon in ways that promise to make Olympus feel bigger than ever. 'There's so many new characters, with Nico and Bianca, the Hunters of Artemis, all the Gods,' Shotz said. 'When everybody sees all the Gods, their minds are going to be blown!'