Casting Disney's live-action Hercules movie will be no easy feat, with much debate over who should star in the Disney remake. The announcement that a new Hercules film is in the works has drawn vast attention, with Jennifer Hudson wanting to be cast as Calliope being the latest in a throng of Hercules headlines. Details on the project remain scarce, but producers Joe and Anthony Russo have already signed on, stating the film will not be a literal adaptation of the original animation. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings writer Dave Callaham will also be penning the script, although, at present, both he and the Russo brothers are remaining tight-lipped regarding if the new Hercules will be a musical or not.
Hercules received a positive reception upon its 1997 release, particularly from critics praising the depth of voice acting in the animated feature. However, the musical fantasy underperformed at the box office, with its Gerald Scarfe-inspired animation style and an ambitious score receiving a mixed response. Disney is clearly keen to improve their last zero to hero foray, with Hercules the latest in a long line of Disney live-action remakes, including Mulan and The Jungle Book.
Who will star in the remake of Hercules is still open to debate, with the live-action script under development. Fans hoping the adaptation remains a faithful musical have already touted singers Lizzo and Ariana Grande to play key roles alongside Jennifer Hudson, but they may yet be disappointed. Considering the movie could easily skew away from its musical origins, established actors with musical chops may well be the safer bet for casting choices. Here's who should play each of the main characters in Disney's live-action Hercules.
Hercules: Richard Madden
Richard Madden absolutely looks the part for Hercules and is a well-known name following his casting as Ikaris in Marvel's Eternals and his work on Game of Thrones as the doomed Robb Stark. The latest MCU installment is one of many films over the past decade in which Madden has taken on extensive action choreography. This will undoubtedly serve Madden in good stead and could prove an asset in portraying Hercules, a character that battles multiple mythical creatures en route to saving Olympus. Madden has proven to be equally adept at more touching moments, with his portrayal of traumatized veteran David Budd in the BBC series The Bodyguard garnering immense praise. While Madden would need to swap his thick Scottish accent for something more familiar, he has the range to deliver a live-action Hercules that audiences will root for.
Young Hercules: Tom Holland
Tom Holland has already endeared himself to a massive audience for his turn as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU and would translate fantastically as a young Hercules. Holland's boyish charm, coupled with his lilting vocals, would make for an excellent portrayal of the young, scrawny Olympian at odds with his immense strength. If he were to play a young Richard Madden in this casting series of Hercules, some makeup or clever CGI could get them looking similar. Tom Holland's mannerisms as young Hercules could be lifted easily from his portrayal of Peter Parker, making him ideal for laying the groundwork for Hercules' character in the Disney remake.
Megara (Meg): Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza has already proven she can embody the character of Meg following her role in the NBC series Parks and Recreation. Megara is a character driven to deceit through her debt to Hades, and as a result, has grown cold, but she slowly starts to change her perceptions upon meeting Hercules. Hercules' innocence shows Meg there is still good in the world, and she eventually falls for him. This mirrors Plaza's basic character arc for April Ludgate in Parks and Rec., who is a cynical character before falling in love with Chris Pratt's naive Andy Dwyer. Plus, Plaza could deliver Meg's snarky one-liners with ease.
Hades: Christopher Walken
Topping James Woods' Hades will be an incredible feat, with the actor's performance noted by many critics as the standout element of the original 1997 movie. Yet if anyone can embody Hades' casual menace, it is The Dead Zone's Christopher Walken, who has made a living imparting fear to roles such as Archangel Gabriel in The Prophecy. While Woods' Hades ended up being a caricature of evil that moved and spoke like a car salesman, Walken's Hades would be much darker as initially intended. Original Hercules Producer Alice Dewey stated that Hades "was supposed to talk in a slow and be menacing in a quiet, spooky way," an art that Christopher Walken has already perfected across a lengthy and successful career.
Phil: Danny DeVito
While he was also the original voice, there is simply no better choice to play the grouchy yet loveable satyr Philoctetes than Its Always Sunny savior Danny DeVito. Live-action or not, the design for the animated version of Phil was based on DeVito himself with a mixture of elements from Fantasia's Bacchus and Snow White's Grumpy, meaning anyone attempting to play the satyr will feel very alien. DeVito has proven his comedic skill time and again and would surely be keen to reprise his role as the hero trainer of Olympus.
Pain: Jonah Hill
Hades' demonic henchmen are a wise-cracking, often inept double act in the original Hercules. The first of this devilish duo is Pain, who, as his name suggests, has a penchant for getting injured as he begrudgingly serves his master. While Pain is the more assertive of the duo, his inability to assess situations accurately contributes to the inevitable damage he sustains. War Dogs' Jonah Hill, a man who is no stranger to physical comedy, would be the ideal actor to step into this role. Hill's standout turns in outrageous buddy adventures such as 21 Jump Street and Superbad definitely stand him in good stead to play the accident-prone and hilariously stout Pain.
Panic: Jay Baruchel
Panic is the second half of the demonic pair owned by Hades, with his paranoia and cynicism often saving him from the overt bodily harm that Pain sustains over the course of Hercules. While Pain is touted as the de-facto leader in the narrative, Panic often appears smarter than his counterpart, courtesy of his stealthy nature despite his name. The perfect man to play the second demon is Jay Baruchel, star of the How To Train Your Dragon movies, as the actor and comedian's often cynical brand of observational humor perfectly aligns with Panic's mannerisms. Baruchel has also acted as a foil for Hill's more slapstick brand of comedy before in films such as This Is The End, where the pair bicker for most of the movie, the same dynamic between Pain and Panic.
Zeus: Idris Elba
Idris Elba is no stranger to portraying gods after his popular stint as Heimdall in the MCU's Thor movies. Elba, who recently announced he would play Knuckles in Sonic The Hedgehog 2, has the natural gravitas required to make a live-action Zeus come to life. Elba's voice is a further pointer for his suitability to play Hercules' father, which holds a booming quality that could very well be echoing from the halls of Olympus. Anyone questioning his ability to command a screen and his leadership qualities need look no further than his recent turn as Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad.
Hera: Cate Blanchett
Hera rules Olympus alongside her husband Zeus (mirroring the MCU's Thor) and often soothes the Greek God of Thunder during his bouts of rage. As a result, Hera often appears calm and commanding in equal measure while also possessing beauty and the ethereal qualities of an Olympian goddess. Therefore, it is hard to look past Cate Blanchett for this role, whose revered turn as Galadriel in The Lord of The Rings springs to mind. Blanchett is fresh off her award-winning stint in the FX/Hulu drama Mrs. America and would add further stardust to an already glittering array of talent for the live-action Hercules.
The Narrator: Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is perhaps the only actor who can follow the late, great movie star Charlton Heston's opening narration in Hercules. Heston deftly sets the scene before the Muses break into song in the initial film sequence, and having Freeman step in would be a great nod to the star status of the role before him. Provided the live-action Hercules utilizes the same format, the opening narration is critical to engaging viewers with the mythological story, and Morgan Freeman would excellently set the scene for the fated tale of Hercules to unfold.