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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the season finale of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” now streaming on Disney+.
Fresh off his breakout role in “The Adam Project,” Walker Scobell was just 12 years old when he took on one of YA literature’s most beloved heroes, Percy Jackson. Five years later, he’s growing up as he plays the demigod son of Poseidon, who weathered epic battles and emotional twists in Season 2 of Disney+’s hit adaptation, which is based on Rick Riordan’s second “Percy Jackson” book, “The Sea of Monsters.” Along the way, Scobell has had to balance life as a teenager with the pressures of bringing Riordan’s beloved character to life.
The Season 2 finale opens with Percy, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri), Tyson (Daniel Diemer) and Clarisse (Dior Goodjohn) racing back to Camp Half-Blood after successfully stealing the magical Golden Fleece back from Luke (Charlie Bushnell). But getting there isn’t easy. They’re ambushed by Laestrygonian giants, and to make matters worse, some of the campers they trusted have turned out to be traitors. While they fight their way home, Luke and his forces launch a full-scale assault on the camp, trying to break through its weakened defenses.
Against heavy odds, Percy and the group make it to Thalia’s tree and place the Fleece on its branches. The Fleece’s powers are so strong that not only is the tree healed from Luke’s poison, but Thalia (Tamara Smart) emerges in human form, brought back to life without having aged since the day six years ago when Zeus (Courtney B. Vance) erected the tree to hold her spirit. Percy is no longer the only child of the “big three” gods who could fulfill the Great Prophecy.
In a dramatic departure from the book, the finale delivers a shocking twist. It’s revealed in a flashback that the Furies didn’t attack Thalia. Instead, they told her about the Great Prophecy and Zeus’ hopes that she will grow up to save Olympus on his behalf. Angry that he would expect this of her despite his absence in her life, Thalia tells Zeus when he appears that she refuses to serve as his weapon. He decides she cannot remain alive, transforming her into the magical tree that will protect Camp Half-Blood. He then orders Chiron (Glynn Turman) to tell everyone he did it to save Thalia’s life after the Furies almost killed her. The new ending changes everything the campers thought they knew about Thalia’s “sacrifice,” and sets the stage for conflicts in Season 3.
“It just solidifies everything we know in mythology about Zeus,” Scobell told Variety. “And it makes it a lot easier for a lot of demigods to join Luke’s side.”
Scobell is now heading into uncharted waters with Season 3, as Riordan’s book “The Titan’s Curse” has never been adapted. “I almost feel like there’s less pressure, because I don’t think there’s anything to really compare it to,” he said. “I thought Logan Lerman had a wonderful performance as Percy Jackson, but now I’m on my own.”
Variety spoke with Scobell about his experience closing out Season 2, and what lies ahead for Percy Jackson.
Throughout the season, Percy is the one person who’s not particularly eager for Thalia’s return. How did it feel to build up that tension in Season 2 when you didn’t have scenes with Thalia until the very end? And how does it feel now that you’re acting with her as you shoot Season 3?
When we were doing these scenes, building up that tension, I was kind of nervous. I was like, “What are we gonna do next year?” I didn’t know if they were going to add something else or if they were going to change something, and they did it. I just had no idea what they were gonna do with it, especially after that big plot twist on Thalia’s backstory — that Zeus did it. So I was really excited to see what was gonna happen when Annabeth and then Thalia and I are just left almost alone.
The Season 2 finale takes a pretty dramatic pivot from the book. How do you think the difference in Thalia’s sacrifice is going to change things now that the gang knows it wasn’t what they thought it was?
It’s just gonna be even more of a reason to join Luke’s side. We explore that a little bit more in Season 3. And it’s difficult, because Percy can’t argue with that at all really. From Percy’s point of view, she’s not really wrong. Percy agrees with her. It just solidifies everything we know in mythology about Zeus, in my opinion. It makes it a lot easier for Thalia to join Luke’s side.
Percy gives a very motivating and inspired speech to dozens of campers before the final battle. How was that to do?
Nerve-racking for sure. I was definitely freaking out a little bit. A lot of people in that room were really familiar faces, so it made it very easy. We’ve all been acting together forever. So I think it made it a lot easier.
We got a glimpse at what happens to Percy when he thinks Annabeth is in danger, and in “The Titan’s Curse,” they’re separated for a long time. How does it feel for you to not have Leah around as you’re shooting Season 3? And how is Percy dealing with the absence of Annabeth?
It was definitely different on set without Leah, for sure. But it was also different without Aryan. Things are different every season. But yeah, he’s just on a mission, and he’s not really going to stop until he gets her back.
Percy and Annabeth have had a slow burn, but you also have lines like, “If I had to choose between you and Olympus, I’d burn it all down.” Rick Riordan told Variety after the Season 2 premiere that they were both still in denial about their feelings for each other. At this point in the story, do you think Percy has realized what his feelings towards Annabeth are?
I don’t think at this part of the story he necessarily has romantic feelings. I think yes to slow burn, and I think yes, if there wasn’t these books, people would also ship them together. But at the same time, I can imagine him saying these lines to Grover; I can imagine saying these lines to Tyson — it just happens to be that it is Annabeth. I guess they have been trying to lean into that.
And I guess in Season 3, we pull back a little bit. We don’t lean into it as much. It’s more like he’s trying to get to her over anything. But that’s just like Percy; it’s like getting to Grover. He really cares about her, and I don’t think it’s like a romantic thing yet. I mean, he still has two love interests to go, so that’s what also makes it difficult. Sometimes I read those lines and I’m like, “I gotta not lean into this with what I’m doing” — but then, I get the notes to lean into it. It’s gonna be interesting when Rachel and Calypso show up.
How do you think Annabeth feels about Percy right now?
I think they like each other — not like a crush or anything. I think they’re just really good friends. I would say Grover is like his brother, and I would say Tyson’s like his brother. I think Annabeth is basically one of his best friends at this point. I also don’t think they’re thinking about that at all, because there’s a lot more going on.
Is there a scene from the book that you wish was in the show but didn’t make it?
Some things just don’t work out because of pace, or they don’t work out because we wanted to lean into something else that’s a bigger deal. I was missing the Hydra a little bit, but then it’s like, we made the Scylla sequence really massive. And that makes a lot of sense to me. Sometimes you have to pick and choose what you really make a big deal. And it’s also expensive. Hydra is a lot of money, and you’ve got to be careful. It would be cool to have the Hydra and Scylla, but at the same time, I’d rather have one of those things that looks really good, rather than both of them not looking that great and not being able to lean into them completely.
I also missed the dodgeball sequence at school. But then, we made enough room for the Manticore and Dr. Thorn chase in Episode 2 [of Season 3], focusing on that and then also that fight sequence.
You’re in the middle of filming Season 3. The third book has never been adapted. How does it feel now that you’re moving into uncharted territory? Do you feel any pressure, or is it more exciting?
I almost feel like there’s less pressure, because I don’t think there’s anything to really compare it to. I thought Logan Lerman had a wonderful performance as Percy Jackson, but now I’m on my own.
Between seasons, do you go back home? Do you live with your parents? Do you go to school? Do you live a relatively normal life?
Yeah, it’s actually a lot like Percy in a weird way, and I always found that pretty funny. I go home from this, and I just go right back to school — I just pick up where I left off. I’ve known all these teachers at the school I go to for a long time. I definitely get cut some slack. But at the end of the day, I do the same work that every other kid does, and I like going back to that.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
English (US) ·