The casting update of Toby Stephens as Poseidon in the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians has officially shattered the fans’ expectation of having Logan Lerman play the role, the original Percy Jackson in the film installation in 2010 — despite the significant age gap between the 31-year-old actor and the supposedly middle-aged character. While Lerman expressively revealed that no one’s “hit him up” about the show, the release date is still about a year away. Therefore, the possibility of his cast announcement isn’t entirely off the cards just yet. So, the real question is: what roles can he play? Almost every part, well, the essential ones anyway, has been filled. Hence, it would seem that Percy Jackson’s avid fanbase is now presented with the option of Lerman making a cameo.

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Short but sweet — that’s what the charm of cameos is. There are abundant answers as to its purpose. In this case, it shall be an acknowledgment of Lerman’s contribution to the prior adaptation — a meaningful gesture of appreciation. A popular instance would be Stan Lee’s regular brief appearances in most Marvel movies, which are formulated on his multitudinous comic book creations. If the creators do plan on bringing Lerman to the series, it’s very likely that they’ll assign him a role that would be memorable, but not until the extent of upstaging the leads. Since everyone committed to the production seems to be tight-lipped about Lerman’s involvement, fans are left with more speculating on which character he could enact.

Perseus

     Warner Bros. Pictures

Harboring ADHD, owning a bronze shield, sword, and winged footwear, and slaying Medusa, Perseus bears plenty of striking resemblances to the Percy Jackson the viewers came to know 13 years ago. It’s not much of a surprise, of course, given the fact the demigod is the inspiration for the half-blood protagonist, as admitted by Rick Riordan, the author of the novel the series is based on, and Percy himself in The Sea of Monsters book.

Let’s also not forget that the audience was teased with a fragment of Perseus’ screen time in the movie, specifically the scene where Percy was asked to name another demigod and, after several moments, uttered Perseus’ name. The moment was fleeting, yet for the discerning few, it generates an alluring thought: what if Perseus meets Percy Jackson?

“THAT Perseus always won. That’s why my mom had named me after him, even if he was son of Zeus and I was son of Poseidon.”

Indeed, it is unclear whether Perseus is still alive within the fictional universe Riordan created. Regardless, it shouldn’t be an obstacle for stories to be developed. After all, this is the creative industry we’re talking about. Anything is possible as long as it’s made with prudence, including a scenario involving these two individuals, be it having Perseus enter Percy’s life as a roaming ghost or as a living cousin providing trivial help. All things considered, Perseus would be a golden alternative for Lerman to carry out, as long as the role remains minor and wouldn’t steal Percy Jackson’s limelight, or worse, thunder.

Hercules

     Walt Disney Pictures

As one of the most universally famed fictitious heroes in any media, Hercules, too, is a part of Percy Jackson’s world. Utilizing his bravery and mighty power to overthrow the wicked and protect the weak, he truly lives up to his godly title. That fact apart, Hercules shares a little of a connection with Percy Jackson: they both defeated Hydra, the nine-headed serpentine monster. The sole difference lies in the how. Hercules used sheer strength with assistance from a nephew, while Percy made use of his sword and extra backing from his peers.

The god of strength is referenced quite a bit in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief as well, during the same Perseus scene earlier, only this time it’s done by Mr. Brunner, a centaur disguising as a teacher, recounting Hercules’ triumph against the Nemean Lion to Percy’s class. Since the hero is well-acknowledged by the characters in both the novel and the motion picture, it stands to reason that Hercules would be a feasible choice for Lerman’s cameo — not to mention how fitting the actor’s good looks are to Hercules’ handsome image.

Apollo

     Relativity Media

The god of sun, light, prophecy, music, art, poetry, plague, healing, and truth isn’t the limit of Apollo’s identity. He also happens to be an expert archer and one of Zeus’ progenies, thus making him another cousin of Percy. Now, while he may not emerge in any spoken dialogues in the movie, Apollo is quite a prominent figure in the later part of the novel series, in particular, The Titan’s Curse, which is supposedly still a portion of what the television show is based upon.

Coherent with his all-around nature, he supplies various aids to Percy, one of which is offering him an archery lesson. And wouldn’t that be a heartwarming sight to see in this upcoming series? Lerman passing down wisdom to the new Percy Jackson would undoubtedly be the kind of picture fans will geek out about. Shooting arrows aside, Apollo is often depicted as a young man possessing a youthful demeanor, a criterion Lerman can easily fulfill.

In the end, whichever role Lerman settles on wouldn’t be much of an issue, as fans’ foremost wish is only to see him appear in the new adaptation of the character he previously played. Speaking of which, it’d be most appreciated should Alexandra Daddario and Brandon T. Jackson, the film’s Annabeth and Grover, decide to also grace the show with their presence. So, fingers crossed.