James Woods confirms he still voices Hades for every Disney project
The 1997 Hercules star says he recorded new Hades lines just weeks ago, despite past tension over his conservative politics.
James Woods says he is still the exclusive voice of Hades in every Disney project featuring the character, and that he was in the studio recording new lines just weeks ago.
Woods made the comment in a May 17 post on X, responding to fan discussion about how often he reprises the role he originated in the 1997 animated film Hercules. “Not ‘nearly,’ but absolutely every time Hades appears in any iteration, I do his voice,” Woods wrote. “I was in the studio just a few weeks ago in fact. I love this character, and the creative team at Disney never fail to do top notch work.”
The post quickly drew hundreds of thousands of views.
Woods has voiced Hades since 1997 and won an Emmy for the role
Woods first voiced the Lord of the Underworld in Disney’s Hercules, turning the role into a fast-talking, sarcastic schemer praised at the time for its energy and improvisational flair. Woods has previously said he loved the character so much that he offered to return his salary during production budget pressures and finish the film for free. Disney declined the offer and completed the movie on schedule.
He reprised the role in the 1998 Hercules animated television series, winning a Daytime Emmy in 2000 for his work on the second season. He returned for House of Mouse, various Disney park attractions and shows, and nearly every video game featuring the character, most notably across the Kingdom Hearts series.
According to industry records, Woods is the only performer to voice Hades in official Disney productions, with one minor exception. Rob Paulsen handled the singing duties for Hades in a House of Mouse Halloween special musical number.
The Oppenheimer “invisible” request in 2024
Woods has built a reputation in recent years as one of Hollywood’s most outspoken conservative voices. A vocal supporter of Donald Trump, he has frequently criticized what he sees as liberal bias in entertainment and described experiencing professional consequences for his views.
The most cited example surfaced around Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer. Woods served as an executive producer but kept his involvement quiet during the release and awards campaign. In a 2024 Deadline interview, he explained that conversations about his social media activity led to a suggestion he remain “invisible” to avoid any backlash that could hurt the film’s rollout. Woods called the decision painful but said he “took one for the team.”
Despite that history, Disney has continued bringing Woods back for new Hades work across film, television, games, and theme parks. His comment about a recent studio session suggests the partnership is still active nearly three decades after Hercules debuted.
Tim Allen returns as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5
The situation has drawn comparisons to Tim Allen, who voiced Buzz Lightyear in the original Toy Story films but did not return for Pixar’s 2022 spinoff Lightyear. Chris Evans voiced a younger, origin-story version of the character instead. Some fans and commentators speculated at the time that Allen’s conservative politics and past public statements played a role in the decision, though Pixar maintained the casting was a creative choice for a new take on the astronaut.
Allen is now set to reprise Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5, scheduled to open June 19, 2026. The full original voice cast, including Tom Hanks as Woody, is returning for the sequel, which pits the toys against technology-driven threats to playtime.
Both cases suggest that audience demand and commercial considerations can outweigh political differences when a project calls for a specific established voice. Fans have long credited Woods’ performance with elevating Hades from a standard villain into one of Disney’s most quotable antagonists, and the character’s blend of menace, humor, and showmanship is closely tied to his delivery.
Woods has made clear he separates the work from the politics. With Toy Story 5 weeks away and Woods confirming fresh Hades recordings, Disney appears willing to keep proven voices in the mix when the project calls for it.
Article compiled and edited by the Pirates and Princesses newsroom for MSN.
For more Disney, theme parks, geek lifestyle, and family entertainment coverage, visit piratesandprincesses.net. Watch the show on YouTube at @Disney-podcast. Subscribe to the Pirates and Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Hat Tips:
Deadline, “Vocal Trump Supporter James Woods On Why His ‘Oppenheimer’ Involvement Was Kept Quiet” (July 26, 2024)
The Hollywood Reporter, “James Woods Asked Not to Promote ‘Oppenheimer’ Due to Right-Wing Views” (July 26, 2024)
Variety, coverage of Woods’ Oppenheimer executive producer credit (July 2024)
Disney Fandom Wiki and official Hercules production notes on Woods’ role history and 2000 Daytime Emmy win
People, Deadline, and Pixar announcements on Tim Allen’s return in Toy Story 5 (February–May 2026)