As Disney’s pursuit to make live-action iterations of all their animated classics continues, the latest film the studio has its sights set on is 1997’s Hercules. The light-hearted re-imagining of Greek mythology might not have the same level of acclaim and nostalgia around it as, say Beauty and the Beast or Mulan, but it is a film that has tremendous potential in a live-action remake. With big-budget superhero flicks dominating the multiplexes, Hercules is the closest that Disney animation has come to making a straight-forward action fantasy film. The 1997 film does have a bit of a cult following, so it’s not all that surprising that Disney has decided to give a live-action treatment of it a shot.
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Director Guy Ritchie has been brought on board to helm the live-action Hercules, which is a choice that makes a lot of sense with Disney’s typically safe strategies. Ritchie has already proven that he can handle stylized action flicks through his work on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr. Plus, Disney has also already found success with Ritchie in this endeavor as he directed 2019’s live-action Aladdin, which grossed over a billion dollars worldwide.
With the live-action Hercules charging forward, it’s only a matter of time before official casting decisions are made. Here’s who we would like to see round out the cast:
Zeus - Jude Law
Warner Bros. Pictures
There have been so many versions of the Greek pantheon of gods on screen before, so Ritchie’s Hercules needs to stand out from the pack with a cast that can really differentiate itself. Jude Law is an actor that might not immediately jump out as someone that could be the king of the Greek deities, but he’s an actor with an incredible range, and who would certainly be up to the challenge of bringing something new to the god of the sky.
Actors such as Sean Bean and Liam Neeson have played iterations of the god before, and Russell Crowe is currently putting his stamp on the character in Thor: Love and Thunder. Law is an actor that can bring the same kind of regality as those actors while having a softer and more fatherly side that is needed for an adaptation of Disney’s animated film. Ritchie and Law have already worked together to great success with Law’s take on Dr. John Watson in Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes outings. Beyond that, Law has also recently shown his ability to portray a leader through his take on Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts series. Law might not have the same raw masculine energy that Zeus is normally depicted with, but that’s exactly what would make his version of the character stand out from the rest.
Hera - Laura Dern
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Seeing as the Disney version of this story depicts Hera as Hercules’ birth mother, it’s necessary to bring in an actor of the same caliber as Law to portray the goddess. Laura Dern has been killing it lately, and she has the perfect demeanor and style for the Queen of the Greek pantheon. Whether it be her dramatic work in the likes of Big Little Lies, Marriage Story and Little Women, or her franchise outings in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Jurassic World: Dominion, Dern just keeps getting better, and she is arguably at the most successful point of her career so far. Bringing an actress of her esteem on board a film like this would add some much-needed gravitas to the cast.
Hera doesn’t have a terribly big part to play in Disney’s Hercules tale, but that is one aspect that could be improved upon in this live-action retelling. Bringing Dern in to portray the character would be a great way for Disney to show that it is going to do more with the character this time around. Plus, Dern is always excellent in pretty much everything she does. So what could go wrong with bringing her onto this film?
Hades - Jason Mantzoukas
NBCUniversal Television Distribution
The role of Hades is the one that will likely be the most difficult to cast for Disney’s live-action Hercules, as James Woods was already perfectly cast in the role in the original animated film. Woods brought so much of his own personality and charisma to the character, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Hades in this story. Thankfully, Ritchie has already shown a knack for recasting characters that everyone thought would be impossible to recast. Will Smith’s take on the Genie in the live-action Aladdin was so different from Robin Williams’ that it’s hard to compare them at all. That’s the approach that needs to be taken here; bring someone in who can capture a similar energy but will be distinct enough to avoid too much comparison to the original actor. In that sense, Jason Mantzoukas fits the bill perfectly.
Mantzoukas has really been developing a name for himself in Hollywood over the last few years. Whether it be for his role as the eccentric fragrance mogul Dennis Feinstein in Parks and Recreation or the many different characters he voices in Big Mouth, Mantzoukas is already someone that most people will at least recognize. He always brings an intense and loud personality to his characters, and that’s exactly what is needed for the role of Hades in Hercules. The actor is already entering the Greek pantheon on Disney+, as he has been cast as the god of wine Dionysus in the upcoming Percy Jackson series. Between that role and Hades in this film, Mantzoukas could finally and deservedly go from a recognizable voice to a household name.
Phil - Danny DeVito
So, the role of the old satyr and mentor Phil is like that of Hades in the sense that the original voice actor is immensely associated with the character. However, in this instance, it would be more beneficial for the live-action Hercules to bring back Danny DeVito to reprise the role. DeVito remains as big a name now as he was when the original animated film came out, and he has even already contributed to Disney’s live-action remakes when Tim Burton cast him in the 2019 Dumbo remake.
Bringing DeVito back to play Phil in live-action would earn this new Hercules a lot of good will with the fans of the original. It’s the kind of decision that just logically makes sense, as it’s hard to imagine anyone would complain about seeing DeVito come back to play this character. Yet, if Disney were to re-cast, the new actor would constantly be compared to the animated version of the character. Though, as was said with Hades, if anyone could recast this role, it would be Ritchie. This is just an instance where it would be best not to.
Meg - May Calamawy
Disney Platform Distribution
Megara might not have the same Disney princess legacy and reputation as a lot of the characters Disney is bringing into live-action, but the role is still one that many actors would love to take on. While it might be tempting to bring in a more established name like Ana de Armas or Ariana Grande, this is a better opportunity for an up-and-coming performer such as May Calamawy.
Calamawy was recently introduced to audiences through her role in Marvel’s Moon Knight Disney+ series, where she played Layla El-Faouly. She brought a real sense of strength and independence to that character, and she managed to hold her own against a potentially MCU-best performance from Oscar Isaac. Calamawy has proven she has incredible acting chops, and a role like Meg in this Hercules film could really launch a long and successful career for her. She’s an actor that is poised to become a star sooner or later, and it would be smart of Disney to keep her in-house following the success they’ve already shared with her with Moon Knight.
Hercules - Austin Butler
Austin Butler is on track to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood over the next couple of years, as he’s already getting Oscar buzz for his leading performance in the new Elvis film, and he beat out a lot of competition for the role of Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two. Though both of those films solidly establish him in the Warner Bros camp, Butler is likely going to become a name that every studio is trying to work with. Considering he already has a history with Disney, as he once played bit roles in Disney Channel shows, like Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, it would seem almost idiotic of Disney not to try and bring him back into the fold.
Through his work in Elvis and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Butler has already shown an incredible range as an actor. He’s charismatic and likable, but he can also be immensely intimidating when he needs to be. By sinking his teeth into a role as heroic as Hercules, Butler would cement his place as one of the first real movie stars to emerge in the 2020s. He’s got the looks, the personality, and the audience’s interest. By casting an actor like Butler in the lead role, this Hercules film would go from an interesting idea to one of the most anticipated films of the next few years.
