Walker Scobell stars as the titular demigod in the adaptation of one of the most beloved young-adult fantasy novel series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He is known for his role in Ryan Reynolds’ The Adam Project. The first season of the series, based on the first novel Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief will be premiering on December 20.
The novel series by Rick Riordan is one of the most popular young-adult fiction series, especially in the fantasy genre. It competed with the other popular young-adult franchise Harry Potter at its peak. Recently, when lead actor Walker Scobell was asked who would win in a fight between Percy and Harry, he said it would not be a fight.
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Walker Scobell In The New Percy Jackson Series
After an underwhelming and panned attempt in 2009, author Rick Riordan pitched a series based on his best-selling novel series Percy Jackson and the Olympians to Disney after they acquired Fox Studios. The project was greenlit with more creative control given to Riordan in developing the series and deciding its direction.
Walker Scobell, the actor who played a younger version of Ryan Reynolds in Shawn Levy’s The Adam Project was cast as Percy. Scobell had made his film debut in The Adam Project and was joined by fellow actors Aryan Simhadri and Leah Sava Jeffries. Scobell mentioned that he was excited about playing the iconic character.
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He mentioned in a press conference during the D23 event (via The Direct),
“Percy, he’s funny, he’s witty, he’s very sarcastic. Very hot-headed. I’m just incredibly grateful to be able to portray one of Rick’s characters, we all are. And I promise you I will always try my hardest every single day to bring Percy Jackson to life for all of us.”
The actor’s casting was met with positive responses from fans who felt his wit and humor were perfect for the sarcastic and self-deprecating Percy Jackson from the books.
Walker Scobell Insulted Harry Potter When Pitted Against Percy Jackson
The Percy Jackson series was one of the most popular young-adult fiction fantasy series ever and was one of the best-selling novels over the years. While the series was popular, it was always compared with the worldwide phenomenon of the Harry Potter series. The latter received a popular film franchise that is one of the highest-grossing franchises ever.
Recently during a live recording of the Happy, Sad, and Confused podcast (via The Direct), Scobell was asked who would win in a battle between Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. In response, he said, “It would not be a fight at all”. The actor then reportedly brought up the topic himself, getting excited to elaborate on the imaginary battle between the Chosen Ones.
The ‘Harry vs Percy’ debate has been a long-standing one due to the similarity in genres and a similar ‘Golden Trio’ troupe in the story. Scobell also went on to say that he would like to team up with the Marvel superhero Spider-Man if given a chance. He also revealed that he was wearing a Camp Half-Blood shirt when he received the call that he got cast in the role.
