The third episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians ended with a cameo appearance from Hermes, the Greek god of messengers (and also trade, wealth, luck, fertility, animal husbandry, sleep, language, thieves, and travel, according to the World History Encyclopedia; guy does it all). Dressed as a mailman, he delivers Medusa's head to the other Olympians at the top of the Empire State Building.
In the original Percy Jackson book series by Rick Riordan, Hermes doesn't show up this early in the story. The show will bring him in a bit sooner than anticipated, played by actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, best known for writing musicals like Hamilton as well as contributing songs to Disney movies like Moana and Encanto.
"That character was supposed to be fun in all of the ways that when you start thinking about Lin inhabiting it, of course he's brilliant," showrunner Jon Steinberg told The Messenger. He described Miranda as "a step ahead of every moment, every punchline, in every turn in a scene. You just really want it to feel like there was somebody in that role who was fun."
Producer Dan Shotz also complimented Miranda: "That guy walks in a room, and you just stand at attention with everything he says. His kids are big fans of the books, and his connection to the material was great. He loved it and wanted to be a part of it."
Hermes also appeared in the two Percy Jackson movies released in the 2010s: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013). He was briefly played by Dylan Neal in the first film and by Nathan Fillion in an expanded role in the second. We'll see more of Lin-Manuel Mirdanda's version of Hermes as new episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians come out on Disney+ on Tuesdays.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels