Danny DeVito Lobbies to Appear in Disney’s Live-Action Hercules

The live-action remake of Disney’s Hercules hasn’t yet announced any casting for the film, all we know is that Aladdin’s Guy Ritchie will be at the helm. Ever since the project was revealed to be in the works though fans of the original animated movie have asked for one thing, the return of Danny DeVito in any role. Having provided the voice for Philoctetes aka “Phil,” in the original film fans have thought that perhaps he could just play the same part in the new film, and now DeVito is adding his own voice to the chorus.

“Will Danny DeVito be in the live-action Hercules?” the actor read aloud on Wired‘s latest Autocomplete interview. “I am the live-action Hercules, what are you talking about. Philoctetes? If they don’t put me in that they don’t have a hair on their ass.” Development on the Hercules film is perhaps not quite to the casting stage just yet but if DeVito were to eventually be cast it could be his second appearance in one of Disney’s live-action remakes of one of their animated films; back in 2019 DeVito appeared in Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo as well.

Should DeVito appear in the film in the same role he would join very rare company. The only other examples of this happening in Disney’s live-action remakes of their animated movies is with Frank Welker, who reprised his role as Aladdin‘s monkey sidekick Abu, along with James Earl Jones who returned to voice Mufasa in The Lion King.

While fans wait to hear official word about the live-action Hercules, the call for fan-casting continues in a major way. Both Jeff Goldblum and Jim Carrey are among the most popular choices to play hot-headed Underworld ruler Hades, and Ariana Grande has also teased interest in Hercules; specifically the character Megara.

Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo are producing Disney’s Hercules through their production company AGBO. Screenwrriter Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) penned the first draft of the film.

“We’ve taken a lot of time and care with it,”  Joe Russo previously said on the Lights Camera Barstool podcast. “They want to see something really cool that they wanna get lost in it for a decade, so that’s our mission is to provide them with that experience.”