First Look: See AEW’s Adam Copeland, aka Edge, as Ares in ‘Percy Jackson’ (VIDEO)

Kelli Boyle January 8, 2024, 5:04 pm

Wrestling fans will be delighted by Percy Jackson and the Olympians‘ casting of the war god, Ares. AEW‘s Adam Copeland, aka Edge, plays the fiery god in the Disney+ original series, and TV Insider has the exclusive first look at Copeland in his debut episode.

Ares makes his grand entrance in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1 Episode 5, “A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers,” premiering Tuesday, January 9 at 9/8c on Disney+. In it, the quest deepens as Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) are tasked with a favor from a fearsome opponent. Ares fits that bill quite nicely, but he’s not the only god or monster seen in Tuesday’s episode.

Episode 4 left off with Percy plummeting from the top of the St. Louis Arch into the Mississippi River below, landing safely thanks to a little well-timed help from his dad, Poseidon, from up in Olympus. Having survived the fall and received a message from his dad (played by Toby Stephens in future episodes), Percy, Annabeth, and Grover plan to continue their trek to Los Angeles and the entrance to the Underworld. One problem: They’re wanted criminals after being framed for the Arch explosion and the train fiasco. And so, off they go on foot!

In the clip above, the trio has already met Ares and are seated at a diner. The war god strikes a deal with the demigods and satyr. “There’s an amusement park up the road. I left my shield there. You get my shield back, and I’ll get you to the Underworld by lunch tomorrow, with a plan to invade Hades’ palace.”

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A leading question from the wise Annabeth sets Ares off. “Do we have a deal, or am I killing all three of you so I can eat in peace?!” he roars. Percy agrees to the bargain, and Grover agrees to being held as collateral while Percy and Annabeth go on the amusement park detour (fans of the book know that this detour will be anything but fun).

Copeland is a lively addition to the stacked list of Percy Jackson and the Olympians guest stars. Fans have already met Glynn Turman’s Chiron, Jason Mantzoukas‘ Mr. D/Dionysus, Jessica Parker Kennedy‘s Medusa, Megan Mullally‘s Alecto, and Suzanne Cryer‘s Echidna. Episode 5 is where the gods of Olympus start to show up even more often.

The WWE Hall of Famer tells TV Insider what drew him to playing Ares. “I read the audition and found the comedic beats were a really fun aspect that I wanted to play around with,” he says. “That, coupled with the fact that my girls are huge Percy fans and we could watch this as a family.”

See Copeland’s Ares debut in the TV Insider exclusive clip above, and don’t miss out on the action to come in Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 5.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Tuesdays, 9/8c, Disney+