Disney isn't slowing down when it comes to live-action remakes or re-imaginings of their classic animated characters, with their most recent venture being the origin story Cruella starring Emma Stone as Cruella De Vil. Next up on the live-action remake docket are Peter Pan & Wendy, as well as Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks and most intriguingly, Hercules, which was last reported to have Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo on board as producers.
The Russos have stated that they intend for the remake to not be a direct adaptation and will feature new elements while staying true to the spirit of the much-loved 1997 film. It will be interesting to see what they plan to add or keep from the original, but what will draw the most attention from fans is who will end up starring in the remake. There's no shortage of actors who would be perfect for these classic roles.
10 Frank Welker as Pegasus (voice)
Frank Welker's career in voice acting spans decades and one of his defining traits is being able to mimic animal noises. Because of this, he's provided the voices of many an animal sidekick in a variety of Disney films, from Abu in Aladdin to Pegasus in Hercules.
Seeing how he reprised the role of Abu for the Aladdin remake, it would make sense for Welker to do the same for the role of Pegasus in a Hercules remake. Bringing the character from animation to live-action might be somewhat tricky, but Welker would reliably bring Herc's companion to life no matter the medium.
9 Amber Riley, Cynthia Erivo, Jurnee Smollet-Bell, MJ Rodriguez, & Janelle Monae as The Muses
The Muses are an integral part of telling the story of Hercules and it's hard to imagine that the remake would discard them entirely, even if their portrayal might be altered somewhat in the transition from the medium of animation to live-action.
The Muses need the right performers to bring them to life, and the combined team of Amber Riley, Cynthia Erivo, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, MJ Rodriguez, and Janelle Monae would deliver in spades. Not only are each of them excellent actors but also astounding singers, and it would be wonderful to see their chemistry and hear their voices blend together onscreen.
8 Sean Hayes as Hermes
Hermes doesn't have a huge role in the film, but he needs the right actor to make him a standout whenever he makes an appearance. Luckily Sean Hayes is up to the task and then some.
The Will & Grace star is a certified scene-stealer, and his snarky comedic timing would work perfectly for the quick-witted herald of the gods. His previous experience playing another smarmy divine being in the 2015 play An Act of God would help him deliver in the role as well.
7 Michelle Pfeiffer as Hera
While Hera is traditionally the enemy of Hercules in Greek mythology, Disney's incarnation sees her as a loving and caring mother to him instead. Despite this, she didn't have too large of a role in the original film, which is something that the remake would do well to rectify.
The always amazing Michelle Pfeiffer would be a great choice to play Hera. Not only does she have the ethereal beauty for the role but she would be able to portray Hera's warmth while adding a strong, resilient attitude that could show that she's more than just Zeus's wife. That last personality trait could play a larger role in the story as a whole, as Pfeiffer's Hera would be determined to find Hercules, perhaps even coming into conflict with Hades while doing so.
6 Jeff Bridges as Zeus
This choice is practically a given, as there aren't many who would fit the role of Zeus as well as Jeff Bridges would. Not only does he have the grand voice, presence, and physicality for the part, but he would easily be able to portray the fun-loving and jovial side of Zeus just as well as he could the stern and commanding side.
And of course not many can rock the kind of beard that Bridges can, which bears quite a resemblance to Zeus's own.
5 Nick Kroll & John Mulaney as Pain & Panic
While Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer reprising their roles from the original film as the bumbling henchmen of Hades would be fun, having the always hysterical pair of Nick Kroll and John Mulaney play Pain and Panic respectively would be a dream come true.
Their instant comedic chemistry would allow the pair to bring their own takes to the characters and lead to no shortage of funny moments. Add in their prolific voiceover experience, as seen on their Netflix series Big Mouth, and the two of them are shoo-ins for these roles.
4 Robert Downey, Jr. as Hades
While Robert Downey, Jr. has spent over a decade as the heroic Armored Avenger Iron Man, he definitely deserves the chance to play a villain, and Hades would be right up his alley.
While James Woods's performance might be hard to top, RDJ would be a blast in the role, as he could easily turn the snarky charisma and frequent ad-libbing he brought to Tony Stark on its head for a more threatening, yet no less entertaining performance. As a bonus, this role would see him reunite with Jeff Bridges, though their characters would be the polar opposites of their roles from Iron Man.
3 Elizabeth Gillies as Megara
Meg is one of Disney's most underrated heroines and requires an actress that can hit all the right beats of her character. While many have suggested Ariana Grande for the role, her Victorious co-star Elizabeth Gillies would be a much better fit.
As seen on that show and on Dynasty, Gillies has the dry, cynical sense of humor and seductive charisma that would fit Meg perfectly, though she could just as easily portray the hurt soul underneath that's forced into working with Hades. Not to mention that her singing voice is amazing and that hearing her perform "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" would be an absolute delight.
2 Danny DeVito as Philoctetes/Phil
If James Earl Jones was able to come back as Mufasa for the remake of The Lion King, then Danny DeVito should be allowed to play Phil again in the Hercules remake. DeVito is as strong, charming, and enduring of an actor as ever, as proven by his great role as Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and in Disney's recent Dumbo remake.
Whether it's through voiceover, motion-capture, or physically playing the character, DeVito deserves to return to the role of the cynical satyr with a heart of gold who serves as Herc's trainer and friend.
1 Skylar Astin as Hercules
Fans of Pitch Perfect and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will know that Skylar Astin is legitimately talented. The young actor is a pleasure to watch in any role and is deserving of more exposure to mainstream audiences. Playing Hercules would be the right step in that direction.
Astin has proven in the past that he can play sweet and innocent characters that have charisma in spades like Hercules and would have no problem bulking up for the part if need be. And he's definitely no slouch as a singer, as he's shown off his vocal chops on the aforementioned Pitch Perfect and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and has even sung a snippet of "Go The Distance" as his audition of sorts for the role. Give Astin the chance and he'll go the distance with the role.