Percy Jackson Season 3 Crowns SNL Alum as Aphrodite
Percy Jackson and the Olympians has found its goddess of love: former SNL standout Kate McKinnon will play Aphrodite in Season 3, with the casting revealed ahead of Season 2’s Disney+ debut.
Well, this is fun: Disney+ is bringing in Kate McKinnon to play Aphrodite in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 — yes, Season 3 — even though Season 2 hasn’t premiered yet. It’s a smart swing and, honestly, kind of perfect casting if you like your gods with a little sparkle and bite.
Kate McKinnon is Aphrodite in Season 3
According to Variety, the SNL alum and Barbie scene-stealer will appear as a recurring guest star as the goddess of love and beauty. The show’s take on Aphrodite comes with a specific mission statement:
"Aphrodite can alter her appearance depending on the beholder" and "must be sure that Percy Jackson respects the power and importance of love before she agrees to offer aid on his quest."
McKinnon joins a growing Season 3 lineup that recently added Levi Chrisopulos as Nico di Angelo, Olive Abercrombie as Bianca di Angelo, Dafne Keen as Artemis, and Saara Chaudry as Zoe Nightshade. They’ll be alongside the core trio: Walker Scobell’s Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries’ Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri’s Grover Underwood.
Where the show is in the books
The series adapts Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, with Riordan creating the show alongside Jonathan E. Steinberg. Season 1 covered The Lightning Thief. Season 2 adapts The Sea of Monsters, and Season 3 is The Titan’s Curse — which is exactly where Aphrodite starts turning up in interesting ways in the books. Given how massive the broader Camp Half-Blood Chronicles have grown since The Lightning Thief hit shelves in 2005, the TV series could keep going well beyond Season 3 if Disney+ wants it.
The timeline is a little wild
For a show that only launched in late 2023, the renewal/casting pace is moving fast. Here’s where everything lands:
- Season 1 premiered December 19, 2023
- Renewed for Season 2 in February 2024
- Renewed for Season 3 in March 2025
- Season 2 debuts December 10, 2025
- Season 3 has no release date yet
One more note for the paper trail folks: McKinnon’s casting hit via Variety, and the news was also flagged by Tamal Kundu over at SuperHeroHype.