Netflix is preparing to close the book on Heron’s story with Season 3 of Blood of Zeus this spring. However, there are still a few titanic foes left to face before the series comes to an end, and one of the biggest will have a similarly towering actor providing his voice. Collider can exclusively reveal that Alfred Molina has been tapped to play one of Greek mythology’s most infamous figures, Cronus, the father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia, and Demeter, and the King of the Titans. His commanding Emmy and Tony-nominated presence will reinforce the animated series fresh off of a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Animated Script.
In myths, Cronus, also known as Cronos or Kronos, is depicted as the son of the primordial Gaia and Uranus who overthrew his father to take power as the king of the gods. In fear that the same would happen to him as prophesied, he would swallow his own children, with only Zeus escaping thanks to his mother Rhea’s efforts to hide him. Zeus eventually struck back at his father and saved his siblings, banishing Cronus to Tartarus after the Titanomachy. The story is similar in what little is seen and heard of the character throughout Blood of Zeus, with Cronus also responsible for sending the first giants to the Underworld. His return with the rest of the Titans will give a divided Olympus its greatest challenge yet, especially with no Zeus around to save them this time.
Molina is no stranger to villainy. He’s best known for playing Peter Parker’s longtime foe, Doctor Otto Octavius, in Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man 2, a role he would later reprise in the MCU‘s multiversal hit Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. His Saturn Award-nominated performance in both films helped the character endure as one of the best depictions of Spidey’s enemies on-screen, though his talents are evident well beyond the superhero movies. On television, he’s twice been nominated for an Emmy as a supporting actor in The Normal Heart and the first season of FX‘s Feud, while on film, he’s taken on notable roles in Boogie Nights, Frida, and Raiders of the Lost Ark, among other things. Voice acting is nothing new for him either, as he’s been heard in everything from Rango and Frozen II to Harley Quinn and Solar Opposites. Aside from Blood of Zeus, he’s also looking forward to joining the Duffer Brothers in their post-Stranger Things project, The Boroughs.
What To Expect From ‘Blood of Zeus’s Third and Final Season
In addition to Molina, Blood of Zeus Season 3 will bring back much of its talented ensemble. Derek Phillips has led the cast as Heron since the series began in 2020, joining Jessica Henwick, Jason O’Mara, Elias Toufexis, Adetokumboh M’Cormack, Claudia Christian, Chris Diamantopoulos, Fred Tatasciore, and Matt Lowe. Series creators Charley and Vlas Parlapanides expressed their excitement for Molina to lend his skills to the already stacked team in an official statement, saying:
“We are beyond thrilled to have Alfred Molina join the Blood of Zeus family. Cronus is a character of immense power and depth, and Alfred’s incredible range and gravitas make him the perfect choice to embody the king of the Titans. Fans are in for something truly epic.”
While Cronus will play a big role in Season 3, there’s much more to wrap up after the dramatic finale of Season 2. Last year’s run of episodes saw Heron nearly re-establishing order among the gods after acquiring the Eleusinian Stone amid the battle between Hades’s, Ares’s, and the other Olympians’ forces. However, Hades committed the ultimate act of betrayal and regretfully stabbed Heron through the heart to prevent himself from having to return to the painful life of ruling the Underworld that has long strained him, his wife Persephone, and their children. The stunning murder angers Gaia, who rules that none among the gods deserve the stone for their selfishness and lack of forgiveness, and invokes the name of Typhon, awakening the monster that nearly defeated the Olympians years ago. Heron’s allies, his brother Seraphim, and the Olympians now have to face the nigh-indestructible beast and the Titans without the stone, Heron, or Zeus around, at least for now.
Produced once more by Castlevania studio Powerhouse Animation, Blood of Zeus Season 3 promises more action than ever as the war against Typhon and the Titans begins, the fate of Heron lies in the balance, and the truth of who cut the demigod’s thread of life is revealed. The series returns to Netflix this May.
via Collider