The Super Powered Fancast

Bless my soul! Fancast on a role!!

Disney is preparing a new live action adaptation of their animated classic Hercules and with the film currently in development, we at the Super Powered Fancast are joining the growing voices of fandom speculating on who could take on the role of the Olympian demigod and his colorful cast of characters.

To lead the cast as the main character Hercules, the film will require someone who can physically embody the role. Not only should the actor physically look like Hercules, but he should be able to have a level of goofy charm and charisma that draws the audience in. While there are several actors that can physically look like an adult Hercules, my choice for the live action version is Gregg Sulkin.

Gregg Sulkin is mostly well known for his role of Chase Stein in the Marvel series Runaways. Sulkin took the character of an outward dumb jock and made him layered and interesting throughout the series. Sulkin could definitely take on the role of Hercules and give the demigod the charm that he needs.

Hercules’ friend, trainer and mentor in the original animated feature was Phil, a satyr played by Danny DeVito. With the advances in motion capture and CGI effects, I don’t see why that should change. Danny DeVito defined that role and his performance is memorable both in characterization and comedic timing.

The female lead of the film and Herc’s love interest and foil is Megara. Meg is beautiful, sarcastic and in no way a damsel in distress. Not only will the actress taking on the role have to embody the strong woman with a secret, she will have to (hopefully) have the musical chops to belt out Megara’s ballad “I Won’t Say I’m in Love”. My choice for Megara would be Anna Kendrick. Her role in the Pitch Perfect films as well as Into the Woods prove that she has the singing chops to take on the role, her personality also mirrors Meg’s quick wit and independence.

To round out the cast, Hercules will require a formidable and clever foe. In the animated film, Hercules went up against Hades and his plan to take over Olympus. In order to embody the smarmy, clever and utterly ruthless lord of the underworld, I can think of no finer actor than Sam Rockwell to play Hades. From his roles in films like Iron Man 2, Vice and Jojo Rabbit to series like Fosse/Verdon, Rockwell has always brought something unique and interesting to every role and when he’s playing characters who are morally ambiguous, he always makes them memorable.

Are you a fan of Disney’s Hercules? Who would you cast in the upcoming live action adaptation? Let me know in the comments below.