On Thursday, it was officially confirmed that Disney is in the early stages of developing a remake of the 1997 film animated film, Hercules. Immediately, the internet went into overload with fancasting suggestions on not only who should play Hercules, but also who should play The Muses.

In the 1997 original film, The Muses–Calliope, Terpsichore, Thalia, Melpomene and Clio–were the five daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. They were also secondary narrators of the film as elite songstress who would burst out in choir tunes. We can’t help but wonder what a live-action casting of The Muses would look like, so here a few choices that we have for the Ancient Greek songstresses:

1. Amber Riley

Amber Riley stole everyone’s hearts as the headstrong diva and breakout character Mercedes Jones on the Fox show, Glee. A seasoned vocalist, Riley has already campaigned for the role as one of The Muses on Twitter. Riley’s belting voice has already garnered her a Grammy Award nomination and universal acclaim from her peers. The role is hers for the taking.

2. Fantasia

Fantasia came to prominence as the winner of the third season of American Idol. Since her win, the Grammy Award-winning vocalist has gone on to release several acclaimed albums and even parlayed her music success to a role on Broadway. In 2017, she portrayed the part of Celie in The Color Purple.

3. MJ Rodriguez

MJ Rodriguez came to prominence as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on the acclaimed FX period drama, Pose. Alongside Emmy winner Billy Porter, Rodriguez has showcased her singing talent on the show. With a background in musical theater, Rodriguez portrayed the role of Angel in the 2011 Off-Broadway revival of Rent. A role as one of the Muses in Hercules could be a great launching pad for Rodriguez in film.

4. Anika Noni Rose

Anika Noni Rose is already a member of the Disney family. The Tony Award-winning actress portrayed Princess Tiana, Disney’s first Black princess, in the 2008 film The Princess and The Frog. Rose is also known for her role as Lorrell Robinson in the 2006 film, Dreamgirls. This casting would be a no-brainer.

5. Hailey Kilgore

A role as one of The Muses in Hercules could be the perfect launching pad for someone, so we’re putting Hailey Kilgore on the list. In 2018, Kilgore was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island. With her role as Aretha Franklin’s sister, Carolyn, in the upcoming film Respect, the momentum is there for Kilgore’s film career to skyrocket. Also, coincidentally, Kilgore is playing a younger version of Rose’s Power character in Starz’s upcoming Power spinoff, Power Book III: Raising Kanan. 

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Photo: Getty