Disney+ original series Percy Jackson and the Olympians premiered its fifth episode on Tuesday (Jan. 9), and fans got the first appearance of new gods: Ares, played by Adam Copeland, and Hephaestus, portrayed by Timothy Omundson. The series follows a demigod and his friends while they’re on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt.
In the episode, Percy (Walker Scobell) reunites with Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) after receiving a message from his father, who saved him from the attack by Echidna and Chimera at the St. Louis Arch. As the incident has made them fugitives, the trio starts hitchhiking west toward Los Angeles.
On the road, they encounter Ares, the Greek god of war. Ares offers to help them get to L.A. if they retrieve Ares’ shield from Hephaestus (the God of Craftsman), while Ares keeps Grover as collateral.
Who plays Ares in Percy Jackson?
Copeland is a professional AEW wrestler and actor. He was formerly in the WWE from 1998 to 2023, where he performed under the stage name “Edge.” However, he is also known for several appearances in TV and film.
Some of his credits include the series Haven (2011-2015), in which he played Dwight Hendrickson, and Vikings (2017-2020), portraying Ketill Flatnose. He also appeared in CW’s series The Flash.
Copeland told Entertainment Weekly that he used his wrestling background to build the character of Ares. “I think Ares would’ve made one heck of a wrestler. There’s a moment where he ups the intensity, and I was definitely dipping into my wrestling playbook for that,” he said.
Who plays Hephaestus in Percy Jackson?
Apart from Percy Jackson, Omudson has appeared in several other TV series such as Judging Amy, Supernatural, Psych, Galavant, This Is Us and more. In film, he also has credits in movies such as Mission: Impossible III and Down With Love.
In the premiere of the series, Omudson told Screen Rant that he wanted to play the god because “Hephaestus is a disabled god, and I, of course, am a disabled performer so it was really important for me to get to represent one in four Americans out there.”
Percy Jackson and The Olimpians is based on the series of books by Rick Riordan, who also serves as executive producer of the show. The first season adapts “The Lightning Thief,” and its premiere episode attracted 13.3 million viewers in its first six days on Disney+ and Hulu.
