Danny DeVito returning as Phil in live-action Hercules remake

It is the era of live-action adaptations and with Hercules getting the modern treatment, fans are delighted to learn that Danny DeVito will reportedly be reprising his role as Phil.

Debuting in 1997, Disney’s Hercules told the story of the son of Zeus who had to save Olympus from the clutches of Hades himself. Fast forward to 2023 and it appears a live-action remake is on the cards with director Guy Ritchie at the helm. With the original movie featuring a talented cast, fans are eager to see who will be taking on the live-action roles and luckily, one face is making a surprise return.

Delve into some Hercules nostalgia below.

Philoctetes, also known as Phil, was played by Danny DeVito in the 1997 version of Hercules and it was with his help that Hercules was able to save Olympus. The half-man, half-goat helped the young hero on his journey and I for one don’t think the live-action would be the same without him. Luckily, that won’t be the case as it was reported by The DisInsider that DeVito will be stepping back into Phil’s shoes, or hooves?

"Let me dive in by giving you all a little 'rumour of the week', while nothing is confirmed at this time, the expectation is the studio will bring back DeVito as Phil,” they reported. It seems as though the studio had no choice after DeVito himself said, “If they don’t put me in that, they don’t have a hair on their a**, I am the live-action ‘Hercules’!”

It is quite rare for actors to reprise their roles in remakes but this was the case for James Earl Jones who returned for the role of Mufusa in the 2019 The Lion King. As for Hercules, although the original role was played by Tate Donovan in the 1997 animation, some others names have been rumoured for the live-action adaptation including Michael B. Jordan and Taron Egerton.

It remains to be seen who else will be joining the cast but with over a 20-year break, fans are excited to see how Hercules will fare after a modern remake.