Every Confirmed Character in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’
Following the massive success of ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023), director Christopher Nolan is turning his attention to one of the most foundational stories of Western literature. The acclaimed filmmaker directed an epic adaptation of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’. This ambitious project brings the ancient Greek tale of gods, monsters, and a perilous decade long journey to the big screen in what has already become one of the year’s biggest cinematic events.
The film follows the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. His voyage is fraught with danger, testing his courage, cunning, and will to survive against the wrath of the sea god Poseidon. An incredible ensemble cast was announced for the project, featuring a mix of Nolan’s trusted collaborators and new talent, and Universal Pictures has since confirmed most of the roles, several of which turned out very differently than early fan casting predicted.
‘The Odyssey’ premiered in London on July 6, 2026, ahead of a wide theatrical release by Universal Pictures on July 17 in the United States and the United Kingdom. The film carries an estimated budget of 250 million dollars and is the first movie shot entirely on IMAX’s 70mm film cameras, making it one of the most technically ambitious releases of Nolan’s career.
Tom Holland as Telemachus – Confirmed
This casting places Tom Holland in the role of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. The character is a young man who comes of age while searching for his father, who has been missing since the Trojan War. He shows great courage and determination, setting out on his own journey that mirrors his father’s struggles.
Holland is globally recognized for playing Peter Parker in Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man’ films, but he has also demonstrated his dramatic abilities in movies like ‘The Impossible’ (2012) and ‘Cherry’ (2021). His youthful energy and proven capacity for portraying earnest, driven characters make him a strong choice for the young prince of Ithaca.
Matt Damon as Odysseus – Confirmed
At the heart of the story is Odysseus, the hero known for his intellect and resilience. This fan-cast gives the monumental role to Matt Damon. Odysseus’s ten-year struggle to return home to his family is the core of the epic, testing his wits against gods, monsters, and his own despair.
Damon is no stranger to working with Nolan, having delivered memorable performances in both ‘Interstellar’ (2014) and ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023). His long career playing intelligent and capable heroes in films like the ‘Bourne’ series and ‘The Martian’ (2015) gives me confidence he could perfectly capture the cunning king.
Zendaya as Athena
Zendaya plays Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, who serves as Odysseus’s divine protector and guides him throughout his journey home.
Zendaya is a two time Emmy winner for her role as Rue Bennett on ‘Euphoria’, a series that concluded its run in 2026, and she also starred as Chani in the ‘Dune’ saga. She and Tom Holland, who plays Telemachus in the film, are engaged in real life, adding an extra layer of interest to their scenes together.
Anne Hathaway as Penelope
The role of Penelope, the famously loyal wife of Odysseus, is given to Anne Hathaway. Penelope uses her own cleverness to fend off a horde of aggressive suitors who have overrun her home, all while she waits for her husband’s return. She is a symbol of faithfulness and intelligence.
Hathaway, an Oscar-winning actress, has worked with Nolan before, playing Catwoman in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012) and Dr. Brand in ‘Interstellar’ (2014). Her talent for conveying both vulnerability and strength would be ideal for portraying the steadfast queen of Ithaca.
Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
Lupita Nyong’o takes on a dual role, playing both Helen of Troy, whose abduction by Paris sparked the Trojan War, and her sister Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon.
Nyong’o remains an Academy Award winner for ’12 Years a Slave’ and is also known for the ‘Black Panther’ films. Playing both Helen and Clytemnestra puts her at the center of two of the story’s most consequential women rather than in a supporting sorceress role.
What do you think about Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy?
Why Has the Casting Sparked Debate
Several of Nolan’s choices have generated real world discussion rather than just fan disagreement. Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy has been the subject of significant public debate, with critics questioning how a story rooted in ancient Greek myth should be cast today.
More broadly, the film’s costume and production design, accents, dialogue, and casting choices have sparked critical discussion regarding historical accuracy to the source material and the setting it depicts. Neither Nolan nor Universal has directly addressed the criticism in detail, though the conversation has followed the production from its earliest casting announcements through to this month’s premiere.
Robert Pattinson as Antinous
Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, the most arrogant and aggressive of Penelope’s suitors and the primary antagonist among the men trying to seize Odysseus’s throne.
Pattinson previously worked with Nolan on ‘Tenet’. Trading a brief underworld cameo for one of the film’s chief human villains gives him considerably more screen time than early fan casting predicted.
Charlize Theron as Calypso
Charlize Theron plays Calypso, the nymph who holds Odysseus captive on the island of Ogygia for seven years and offers him immortality if he stays.
Early reports had circulated that Theron would play Circe, but more recent Universal materials confirm her role as Calypso instead. Theron previously played complicated, commanding women in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ and ‘The Old Guard’, instincts that suit the tragic nymph well.
Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus, the king of Sparta and husband of Helen, whose departure from their marriage is what triggers the Trojan War.
Bernthal is best known for playing the Punisher across Marvel’s film and Netflix properties. His casting as the wronged Spartan king places him at the emotional root of the entire conflict rather than among Penelope’s suitors back home.
Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and supreme commander of the Greek forces at Troy.
Safdie previously appeared in Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ as Edward Teller. His new role opposite Lupita Nyong’o’s Clytemnestra places him inside the doomed royal family whose story frames the wider war.
Himesh Patel as Eurylochus
Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus, Odysseus’s second in command on the voyage home, a cautious figure who frequently clashes with his captain over key decisions.
Patel broke out in Danny Boyle’s ‘Yesterday’ and previously appeared in Nolan’s ‘Tenet’. His new role gives him a much larger and more conflict driven part than the wind god cameo originally guessed.
Elliot Page as Sinon
Elliot Page’s long rumored turn as Achilles never materialized. A leaked Hungarian dubbing list, reported by outlets including LGBTQ Nation, suggests Page instead plays Sinon, the Greek soldier from the wider Trojan War tradition who convinces the Trojans to bring the wooden horse inside the city.
Universal has not made an official announcement confirming the role, so it should be treated as a strong report rather than a certainty. Page previously worked with Nolan on ‘Inception’ and is also known for ‘Juno’ and ‘The Umbrella Academy’.
Bill Irwin as Polyphemus
Bill Irwin plays Polyphemus, the Cyclops and son of Poseidon whom Odysseus blinds to escape captivity, one of the most famous set pieces in the entire epic.
Irwin is a Tony winning stage performer also recognized for voicing the robot TARS in ‘Interstellar’. His casting as the Cyclops marks a significant transformation from his earlier Nolan role.
Samantha Morton as Circe
Samantha Morton plays Circe, the powerful enchantress on the island of Aeaea who turns Odysseus’s men into swine, one of the most visually iconic episodes in the story.
Morton is an Oscar nominated actress known for ‘Minority Report’ and ‘The Walking Dead’. Her casting as Circe places her opposite Matt Damon during one of the journey’s most dangerous stretches.
John Leguizamo as Eumaeus
John Leguizamo is envisioned as Eumaeus, the loyal swineherd who remains faithful to Odysseus throughout his long absence. Eumaeus is one of the first people Odysseus meets upon his return to Ithaca, and he plays a key part in helping the hero reclaim his throne.
Leguizamo is a versatile actor with an incredible range, known for projects like ‘Moulin Rouge!’ (2001) and ‘John Wick’ (2014). His talent would be well-suited to portraying the humble and steadfast ally.
Logan Marshall-Green as an Unrevealed Role
Logan Marshall-Green did join ‘The Odyssey’, stepping in after original cast member Cosmo Jarvis exited the production due to a scheduling conflict. Universal has not publicly attached him to any specific character.
Marshall-Green is known for ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Upgrade’. Fans will likely learn his exact role only once press notes are updated closer to release.
Mia Goth as Melantho
Mia Goth plays Melantho, a maidservant in Odysseus’s palace who betrays Penelope by siding with the suitors, a far more central and villainous part than originally guessed.
Goth remains one of horror’s most recognizable faces thanks to ‘X’ and ‘Pearl’. Her casting as Melantho gives her a rare chance to play a domestic antagonist rather than a supernatural one.
Corey Hawkins as an Unrevealed Role
Corey Hawkins’ role has not been publicly revealed, though some outlets have speculated he may play Hermes, the messenger god, rather than the sea god, Poseidon, originally rumored.
Hawkins is known for his commanding screen presence in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and ‘Kong: Skull Island’. Those instincts could suit either a messenger god or a mortal antagonist, depending on which role Universal eventually confirms.
Will Yun Lee as an Unrevealed Role
Will Yun Lee is confirmed to be part of the cast. Universal has listed his part as still to be announced, alongside several other supporting cast members whose characters remain under wraps ahead of release.
Lee is known for ‘Altered Carbon’. Like several of his co-stars, his exact character will likely only be confirmed once the film reaches theaters.
Jesse Garcia as an Unrevealed Role
Jesse Garcia is part of the confirmed cast. His specific character has not been publicly revealed, placing him among the film’s large group of cast members announced without an attached role.
Garcia is known for ‘Narcos Mexico’ and ‘Flamin’ Hot’. His part in Odysseus’s story will likely come into focus once the film opens on July 17.
Andrew Howard as Polites
The loyal crewman role once attributed to Jesse Garcia actually belongs to Andrew Howard. Howard plays Polites, one of Odysseus’s most loyal and trusted companions on the voyage home from Troy.
Howard is a Welsh character actor recognizable from ‘Limitless’ and ‘Watchmen’. His casting fills in one of the few named crew roles Universal confirmed ahead of release.
Travis Scott as the Bard
Rapper and producer Travis Scott joined the ensemble as a bard, and Christopher Nolan connected the casting to the oral storytelling tradition that Homer’s epic represents, drawing a line between rap and the way the Odyssey was originally passed down by voice.
Scott’s presence has become one of the more talked about pieces of trivia around the production, precisely because his role has nothing to do with the actor archetypes fans expected.
James Remar as Tiresias
Universal also confirmed veteran character actor James Remar for a small but pivotal role. Remar plays Tiresias, the blind prophet Odysseus consults in the underworld, a sequence that echoes the ghostly encounters originally imagined for other characters in this piece.
Remar, known for ‘Dexter’ and ‘The Warriors’, has worked with Nolan multiple times. His casting rounds out an underworld sequence that also involves Elliot Page’s character.
What are your thoughts on this cast, and who would you choose to star in a modern ‘Odyssey’?
