It is no secret that Disney is producing a live-action remake of their hit 1997 classic Hercules to go along with the success of The Lion King and Aladdin. A rumored (and fake) cast list has been swirling around the internet, causing fans to speculate on who could actually fill out the cast of what will undoubtedly be Disney’s next billion-dollar project. Here are some options as to what that cast could, and likely should look like.
The Muses
Thalia: Lizzo
The Muses sing and narrate the story of Hercules, and provide quality comic relief throughout the entire film. The Muse most responsible for that relief is Thalia, who often cracks jokes and is the defacto cut-up of the group. Lizzo has the perfect personality to compliment Thalia’s lightheartedness and is no slouch when it comes to musical talent as well.
Melpomene: Kelly Rowland
Melpomene is the most dramatic Muse of the group and is signified by her long, wavy hair. Kelly Rowland from Destiny’s Child has that same kind of hair, as well as a significant acting pedigree and a wealth of experience when it comes to performing with other women.
Clio: Nicole Scherzinger
Clio is the Muse of history, who has the biggest brain of the group to compliment her signature ponytail. An experienced singer and dancer who has shown how smart she is time and again on The Masked Singer is Nicole Scherzinger, who captures the look for Clio just as well as she does the personality.
Terpsichore: Ciara
Terpsichore is the Muse of dance, meaning that she should be played by someone who is primarily a dancer. While Ciara is a talented singer, she acquired her fame due to her dancing pedigree, and could easily spike her hair to capture the full essence of Terpsichore’s character.
Calliope: Beyoncé
The leader of the Muses, Calliope should be played by someone who is an undeniable leader. No one fits this description better than Beyoncé, who was not only the leader of Destiny’s Child, but is an inspirational figure and leader for women all around the world.
The Fates
Clotho: Sigourney Weaver
The fates will likely be brought to life using motion capture CGI, so the women playing them are not actually too important. However, putting a legend like Sigourney Weaver as Clotho would be an added icing on top of the Hercules casting cake.
Lachesis: Bette Midler
Casting Bette Midler as Lachesis would be nostalgic for a large part of the Disney audience, harkening back to her memorable role in Hocus Pocus. While she has not been in the limelight for the later part of her career, there is no doubt that Midler is still talented and beloved by all, making her cameo as one of The Fates even more spectacular.
Atropos: Betty White
The shortest and most colorful of The Fates is Atropos, who is by far the funniest personality of the three. Betty White would be the perfect fit for this character, as her dry wit and natural comedic delivery will shine through whether she provides the motion capture or just the voice of Atropos.
Main Cast
Hermes: John Legend
Hermes was originally voiced by Paul Schafer, who the character’s look is ultimately based on, but Schafer is not the most popular piano player in the world anymore. John Legend is by far the most talented keyboard and piano musician working today, making him an obvious choice to take over for live-action. Not only is he a godly talented musician, but he was People’s Sexiest Man Alive as well, so perhaps taking the role of a Greek god isn’t much of a stretch.
Panic: Charlie Day
The voice of Panic should be high pitched, sporadic, and of course panicky. No one could do this better than Charlie Day, who has a voice so unique and recognizable that it can embody an entire emotion. While he is a popular star to voice one of Hades’ lowly henchmen, Panic will likely be a feature in the movie on several occasions and is by far the best choice to bring the incompetent minion to the screen.
Pain: Louie Anderson
This decision is simple, as Louie Anderson looks exactly like the animated character of Pain. He could use motion capture to embody the most accurate resemblance to that of the animated film, and use his iconic voice to become one of the funniest characters in the movie.
Hera: Julianne Moore
Hera is the goddess of marriage and motherhood, meaning that she is perhaps the most nurturing being in existence. While Julianne Moore has played her fair share of villains in the past, she is also used to being a motherly figure, and has the grace and beauty the goes along with Hera.
Zeus: Dolph Lundgren
Zeus is the most powerful of all the gods, but in the film he is mostly lighthearted and cheery. This is something that Dolph Lundgren could do extremely well, being an imposing figure who is actually a teddy bear in real life.
Philoctetes: Danny DeVito
Disney has pretty much already said this, but no one could play Phil other than Danny DeVito. Just like James Earl Jones with Mufasa, replacing DeVito would simply be a downgrade, and would likely be met with nothing aside from backlash from fans. DeVito could play Philoctetes in live-action just as well as he voiced him in 1997, making him the one and only choice for Hercules’ mentor.
Hades: Robert Downey Jr.
Hades is the conniving, sarcastic, and sometimes rage-filled younger brother of Zeus, whose main goal is to kill his brother as well as Hercules. Robert Downey Jr. embodies most of those characteristics, with Hades’ bursts of rage being the one aspect of his personality that Downey would have to act through. He is used to being the leading man of every story since his time as Iron Man, but having one of the most popular actors in the world play one of Disney’s most prolific “love to hate” villains would truly make for the perfect match.
Megara: Camila Mendes
Meg is the epitome of a strong woman, being a damsel in distress who can handle this. Camila Mendes fits into that mold particularly well, for the most part playing characters that can handle their business on their own. Mendes is an actress who is quickly becoming more popular after every new project, and she undoubtedly deserves to achieve Disney princess status.
Hercules: KJ Apa
No one on the planet is as perfect for Disney’s Hercules as KJ Apa. From the bright red hair that he keeps dyed to play Archie Andrews, to the smile, right down to the washboard abs, Apa is the overall perfect fit. While he plays a darker version of a beloved character on Riverdale, he may still have the chops to pull off Hercules’ ambition and friendliness, and he is a bright enough young star to carry the film on his Herculean shoulders.
