Hercules is also getting the live-action treatment, and it’s the perfect chance to fix the most controversial element of the animated version. Disney continues riding the way of live-action remakes of its animated movies, despite not all of them succeeding, and among its many projects for the near future is Hercules. In 1997, Disney took viewers to Ancient Greece and brought to life the myth of Hercules (Tate Donovan), son of Zeus, who was turned into a mortal by his uncle and ruler of the Underworld, Hades (James Woods) – however, Hades’ plan wasn’t entirely successful as Hercules retained his god-like strength.
After being raised by a mortal couple as he was stripped of his immortality, Hercules decided to regain his place on Mount Olympus, but for that, he had to prove he was a true hero – but on his journey to becoming one, Hercules encountered not only obstacles from Hades but also the initial rejection of people and confronted his ego. Despite performing well at the box office and receiving praise for its sense of humor and Woods’ performance, Hercules has also been controversial, but the live-action remake can easily avoid Hercules’ biggest criticism.
Hercules’ Biggest Plot Hole Proves Hades Is Really Bad At Being A Villain
As fun as Hades is, he’s pretty incompetent as a Disney villain, as highlighted by a big plot hole in Hercules regarding his plan against his nephew.
Disney’s Hercules Made A Lot Of Changes To Greek Mythology
Hercules is based on the mythological hero of the same name, but Disney made a bunch of changes to it that, understandably, earned it a lot of criticism and controversy, particularly in Greece. First off, “Hercules” is the Roman name of the Greek hero Heracles, so Hercules being set in Greece and the rest of the characters using their Greek names didn’t make much sense. Heracles was the son of Zeus but not of Hera (who was Zeus’ sister and wife), and his mother was a mortal woman named Alcmene.
In the Greek myth, Hera hated Heracles as he was proof of Zeus’ affairs, and she not only delayed his birth but also tried to kill him by sending two giant snakes, but toddler Heracles grabbed one in each hand and strangled them (similar to how Hercules did with Hades’ minions Pain and Panic). Because he was the son of a God and a mortal, Heracles was born a Demigod, while the movie made him a God that was turned mortal and later turned back into a God.
Megara wasn’t linked to Hades, and she was a Theban princess and Heracles’ first wife. Unfortunately, Hera, still hating Heracles, sent him into a fit of temporary madness, leading him to kill his and Meg’s children, and whether Meg died or not depends on the author. These are just a few of the many changes Disney made to the myth of Hercules and the many characters mentioned in the movie, and it’s easy to see why, as the myth as is isn’t family friendly at all, but these changes completely modified key parts of Heracles’ story.
How The Hercules Live-Action Remake Can Be More Accurate (& Still Be Family-Friendly)
The Hercules live-action remake doesn’t have to be 100% loyal to Greek mythology to fix the mistakes of the animated version, but it can be more accurate and still be family-friendly. Small changes like Hercules’ parents being Zeus and Alcmene still make his hero journey possible, as he could be looking to earn a place on Mount Olympus as a full god. The live-action Hercules remake could also introduce Heracles’ (half) brother Iphicles, who fought at his side during battle but died in combat, and he can be an extra ally of Hercules while among mortals.
Megara could also be the Theban princessshe is in mythology, thus officially making her a Disney princess, though her reasons for joining Hades’ side would have to be different. Disney has used its live-action remakes to fix the mistakes of the animated versions, and the same can be done with Hercules and its Greek mythology roots.
