Disney rumored to be considering Dua Lipa to play Megara in ‘Hercules’

As per recent rumors, Disney's live-action "Hercules" remake may consider pop star Dua Lipa for the role of Megara.

Disney's live-action remake of "Hercules," announced in 2022, may be eyeing pop star Dua Lipa for the role of Megara, according to a recent rumor from DisInsider. No official casting announcements have been made yet, but the studio reportedly "likes" Lipa for the part.

The film is directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joe and Anthony Russo. 

Previous speculation suggested Taron Edgerton and Ariana Grande as potential leads for Hercules and Megara, respectively. However, Lipa's name now appears to be in contention for the female lead.

In the original 1997 animated film, Megara starts as an ally of the villain Hades but ultimately betrays him and falls for Hercules. The Russos have indicated that their adaptation will not be a direct translation of the original. "Both us and our kids are Hercules fanatics," Anthony Russo said in a 2022 interview. "And we had heard that Disney was interested in revisiting it and we’re in love with the original. And we made a case as to why we felt we would be right to produce that film and here we are."

Joe Russo added, "I think you always have to bring something new to the table because from our perspective as storytellers, it’s not compelling for us to do a literal translation. We’ve already done that with our Marvel films. We don’t do literal translations of the comics because we feel like if you want that story you can go read that story. We’re going to give you a different story. I think we’ll do something that’s in the vein of the original and inspired by it, but we also bring some new elements to the table."

Despite rumors earlier this year that Ritchie had parted ways with the project, there has been no confirmation of his departure.

The original animated "Hercules" follows the story of Hercules, voiced by Tate Donovan, who, after being snatched as a baby by Hades (James Woods), lives among mortals as a half-man, half-god. To prove himself worthy of living with the gods on Mount Olympus, he must perform a rite of passage on Earth, aided by his satyr sidekick, Philoctetes (Danny DeVito), and learn to use his strength to defeat various evil creatures.