a star is born

‘Fire Island’ hunk Zane Phillips is down to play Hercules, so what’s the hold-up, Disney?

Photo Credit: (left) Jeong Park / Searchlight Pictures, (right) Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Wait, has Zane Phillips been reading our diary?

One of the best reviewed films of the summer so far, Fire Island has brought a lot of attention to its dreamy queer stars, a cast of crush-worthy actors including Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, and Matt Rogers (to name a few). Among them is the hunky Phillips—best known for The Vampire Diaries spin-off, Legacies—who’s making the most of the limelight, and throwing his name in the ring for a splashy new role: Hercules.

To paraphrase the great Mo’nique: We would like to see it!

A quick trigger warning to those who may be upset by the acknowledgment of the passage of time, but today marks the 25th anniversary of the Disney Animation classic, Hercules, a colorful, musical spin on the story of the titular demigod. To celebrate the occasion, the pop culture news account @BuzzingPop tweeted some throwback photos and posed the question: “Who would you like to see star in the live-action adaptation?”

In a delightful move that has Fire Island fans freaking out, Phillips quote-tweeted the Hercules commemoration with four simple words: “Ok fine I volunteer.”

Disney, are you listening? With that muscular physique, the sparkling blue eyes, and those comedy chops, we have no doubt Phillips is capable of going the distance. Sure, his alluring Fire Island character Dex was [spoiler alert] eventually exposed to be a bit of a creep, but the sexy star certainly has what it takes to go from zero to hero and play this mythically beautiful man.

By now, the Mouse House has given the live-action treatment to most of its Disney Renaissance oeuvre, so it’s only a matter of time before they do the same for Hercules. Besides, celebrities like Lizzo and Jennifer Hudson have already nominated themselves to play the film’s iconic quintet of singing Muses, so we’ve already got most of the casting sorted out already—we just need the greenlight.

Related: How Brad Pitt’s perfectly sculpted butt awakened James Scully’s inner homosexual

The only question remaining is, if Herc is played by a gay actor, does that mean the character can be queer, too? We’d hate to lose a love interest as incredible as Megara, but the sharp-witted charmer is basically a gay man anyway, so it’d be easy to gender-swap without losing the essence of “Meg.”

At any rate, a live-action Hercules is merely hearsay at this point, but the campaign starts now to get Phillips in the casting room when the time comes.

Still need more proof that Zane Phillips is the right guy to play Hercules? Take a look at some of his steamiest Instagram photos below (especially this first one, dressed in some appropriate costuming), and maybe then you’ll agree with us.

 

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A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Zane Phillips (@zanethan)

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