Credit: ABC (left) Disney (right)

Playing a Disney character in any movie is often a goal for many actors, but if you had to choose, would you want to play the hero or the villain?

Of course, playing a hero makes you the star. Yet if we think of all of the iconic Disney villains like Ursula, Gaston, Maleficent and more, their roles are always devious and cynical – which would probably be a lot of fun to play! Most of the time when we see a new animated Disney movie come out, the character voices are very recognizable as many great celebrities audition for the chance to be a Disney character.

From Mandy Moore playing Rapunzel to Idina Menzel playing Elsa, you almost expect to have celebrities in a Disney movie. While some of the older animated classics still had iconic actors playing roles, such as James Earl Jones playing Mufasa in The Lion King, not all of the voice actors were a prominent Hollywood celebrity.

When it comes to Hercules, the excellent James Woods voiced the villainous Hades, but at one point another legend was being considered for the role. He was reported that singer-songwriter David Bowie was once in talks to play Hades in Disney’s Hercules.

Given the vocal talents and power of Bowie’s stars, it’s no surprise to learn that Disney was planning to play him a major role in their film. Plus, with a soundtrack composed by Alan Menken, which artist wouldn’t want to be involved?

If Bowie was playing Hades, the role surely would have been very different from what we can see in the movie today, as Bowie was such a dramatic character. It’s likely he would have added that element and flair to his character work.

Bowie may not have had the chance to play Hades; However, now that the Disney Renaissance Era film returns in live-action form, the search for a new Hades is on. So far all we know is that Shang-Chi and the ten rings (2021) writer Dave Callaham has joined in writing the screenplay. Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame (2019) directors that the Russo Brothers are producing, but no one else in the cast or the creative teams has been announced.

It has been said that Disney is looking to launch a non-white Hercules; However, since we haven’t heard any casting confirmation, we’ll have to wait and see who Disney ends up playing. That being said, there aren’t many guesses on who will play Hades, so it looks like all of us Disney fans will have to play the wait game on this one!

Would you have liked to see David Bowie as Hades in Hercules?