Susan Egan is absolutely not saying Zendaya should play Megara in Disney's live-action Hercules. She just so happened to keep saying Zendaya's name when asked.
The actress, who originally voiced Megara in Disney's 1997 animated film, has once again entered the great live-action casting debate with a suggestion that was somehow both extremely specific and delivered with a healthy dose of plausible deniability.
When asked which actresses she would like to see take over the role, Egan began cautiously.
'Listen, it's very controversial for me to mention any actresses,' she said.
Then, almost immediately: 'Zendaya.'
Well, diplomacy had a good run.
Susan Egan Is 'Not Saying Anything' After Saying 'Zendaya'
Egan did not exactly declare Zendaya the one and only woman worthy of inheriting Meg's famous purple dress and neutral evil sass.
After dropping her name, she quickly widened the field, noting that there are 'so many good ones out there'.
Her description of what she would like from a new Megara, however, was absolutely more revealing.
Egan envisioned somebody who is 'defining their own destiny', as well as being 'tall and statuesque' and capable of singing while delivering plenty of attitude.
'So I'm not saying anything,' she concluded after inserting Zendaya's name once.
Megara herself would probably appreciate that particular level of sass.
The casting idea is not entirely new territory for Egan, either. Speaking to Deadline, she abandoned some of that earlier subtlety and admitted, 'I've been subtly saying Zendaya, but now I'm just gonna say it.'
She praised the actress as grounded, strong and possessing 'an incredible voice and a little edge'.
Those are useful qualities when playing a Disney heroine whose romantic philosophy famously includes insisting she will not say she's in love.
@entertainment_weekly Zendaya, you picking up what Meg's putting down? 🤨😆 Disney Legend Susan Egan, who voiced Megara in the animated movie 'Hercules,' is nominating Zendaya to take on the role in the upcoming live-action adaptation.
♬ original sound - Entertainment Weekly
Tom Holland Can Come to Mount Olympus Too
Egan's imaginary casting department apparently had room for one more name.
She also suggested Zendaya's husband and frequent co-star, Tom Holland, for Hercules, joking that the pair were probably filing for a restraining order over her enthusiasm.
'But honestly, I don't even care,' Egan joked. 'I feel like the world needs it.'
Egan stressed that her interest in the pairing was not simply because Holland and Zendaya are currently Hollywood's reigning power couple. The two have already shared the screen repeatedly, including the Spider-Man films and The Odyssey, so placing them together in another rather different mythological adventure would certainly come with built-in chemistry.
Whether Disney agrees that the real-life couple is a fit to play the snarky heroine and the legendary demigod is another matter entirely.
Who Will Play Megara in Live-Action 'Hercules'?
Disney's live-action Hercules has been in development for years. The project was first announced in 2020, with Guy Ritchie later attached to direct in 2022.
For now, Egan's dream casting remains exactly that: dream casting.
Still, there is something particularly fitting about the original Megara campaigning for an actress based partly on whether she can bring the necessary attitude. Meg was never exactly designed to stand around waiting for Hercules to rescue her. And Egan certainly knows how to make a casting suggestion worthy of the character.
Mention Zendaya. Retreat. Insist you're saying nothing. Mention Zendaya again.
Meg would approve of this behaviour.
