Christopher Nolan's ‘Odyssey' Swept Up in Culture Wars

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the follow-up to his Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, is one of the most anticipated film releases of the year. But two months out from the film’s release, it has been swept up in an online culture war.

The Odyssey has already been touted as a "masterpiece," but has been scrutinized online since news of its conception, with concerns raised about costumes and historical accuracy. Now, ahead of the film's release, right-wing voices online, including Elon Musk, have criticized the casting of Black and transgender actors in the film.

Newsweek reached out to a representative for Nolan via email for comment outside working hours.

Why It Matters

The online storm around The Odyssey is not unique. In recent years, backlash has become routine in response to decisions around casting in adaptations or remakes, particularly when characters have been gender-swapped or played by actors of color after previously being played by white actors.

The casting of Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Papa Essiedu as Severus Snapein HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series was met with backlash, some of it racist in tone.

Similar discourse came after Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel in the Disney live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, when Zendaya played MJ in Marvel's Spider-Man: Homecoming, and when Rachel Zegler was cast as Snow White in Disney's live-action remake of Snow White.

Broader criticism has been leveled at projects deemed to be "woke" by the right.

What We Know About Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey'

The Odyssey is an epic action fantasy film written, produced and directed by Nolan. It is an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem of the same name. It is thought to have been written in the 8th or 7th century BC.

The story is split into 24 books and follows the Greek hero and king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he journeys home after the decade-long Trojan War to reunite with his wife, Penelope. In the poem, Odysseus' journey takes him to encounter the Cyclops, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe.

Nolan's adaptation has a star-studded cast and is his first film since 2023’s Oppenheimer. Universal has said that The Odyssey was "shot across the world," and it has been reported that the film had a $250 million budget, making it the most expensive film of Nolan's career.

The Fallout Over ‘The Odyssey' Explained

There has been criticism of The Odyssey for aspects such as costuming and perceived historical anachronisms. In recent days, the criticism has swelled, particularly regarding the casting-particularly Lupita Nyong'o, Travis Scott and Elliot Page.

Musk is perhaps the most notable among the critics. The tech CEO and richest man in the world has been posting about the film as early as January, but has shared multiple critical posts in recent days.

He has reposted and responded to multiple posts on his social media site, X, attacking the film, and responded "True" to a post that alleged Nolan is "racist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage."

Matt Walsh, a commentator for The Daily Wire, criticized the film and suggested that Nyong'o, who is Black, had been cast as Helen of Troy because Nolan knew he "would be called racist if he gave ‘the most beautiful woman' role to a white woman," and that Nolan is "technically talented but a coward."

Musk replied, "True," to this post. Some defenders of the film have noted that Helen of Troy is a mythological figure, of whom there is no evidence that she was ever a real person, or what she may have looked like.

There has also been condemnation of the criticism for being misogynistic, racist and transphobic in nature.

What Has Christopher Nolan Said About the Backlash?

Nolan specifically defended the casting of rapper Travis Scott as a bard in the film during a recent interview with Time.

"I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap," he said.

Nolan said he took a similar approach to researching The Odyssey as he did in his previous film, Interstellar, where he hired a team of scientists to make the physics as accurate as possible.

He told Time, "For Interstellar, you're looking at, ‘What is the best speculation of the future?' When you're looking at the ancient past, it's actually the same thing. What is the best speculation, and how can I use that to create a world?"

"Hopefully they'll enjoy the film, even if they don't agree with everything. We had a lot of scientists complain about Interstellar. But you just don't want people to think that you took it on frivolously," he added.

Who Is Elliot Page Playing in ‘The Odyssey'?

Elliot Page's role in The Odyssey has not been confirmed, though there is speculation that he is playing Achilles, including on the prediction market Polymarket.

Page previously worked with Nolan on the film Inception.

Page came out as transgender in 2020. Many of the posts that are critical of his casting in The Odyssey are transphobic. Musk reposted several transphobic posts about Page. He is estranged from his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who he has said in the past suffers from a “tragic mental illness caused by the evil woke mind virus.”

There is a high level of transphobic abuse online. A 2023 survey from the Anti-Defamation League found that three-quarters of trans people have faced online abuse in their lifetimes. Between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025, GLAAD's ALERT Desk tracked 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in the United States and the District of Columbia. 52 percent of incidents specifically targeted transgender and gender-nonconforming people.

Who Is in the Cast of ‘The Odyssey'?

This is the cast of The Odyssey, with roles confirmed.

Matt Damon – Odysseus

Tom Holland – Telemachus

Anne Hathaway – Penelope

Robert Pattinson – Antinous

Lupita Nyong'o – Helen of Troy / Clytemnestra

Zendaya – Athena

Charlize Theron – Calypso

Jon Bernthal – Menelaus

Benny Safdie – Agamemnon

Mia Goth – Melantho

John Leguizamo – Eumaeus

Samantha Morton – Circe

Himesh Patel – Eurylochus

Bill Irwin – Polyphemus

Jimmy Gonzales – Cepheus

The cast whose specific roles have not yet been confirmed includes Elliot Page, Logan Marshall‑Green, Ryan Hurst, James Remar, Josh Stewart, Will Yun Lee, Elyes Gabel, Corey Hawkins, Maurice Compte, Nick E. Tarabay, Travis Scott, Shiloh Fernandez, Markie Farnsley, Iddo Goldberg, Rafi Gavron, Niko Nicotera, Jamie Harris, Jesse Garcia, Michael Vlamis, Adam Croasdell, Ryan de Quintal, Anthony Molinari, Stephen Murphy, Kamden Riley, Matt Lasky, Andrei Lenart, Jorge Leon, Douglas Rouillard, and Jarreth J. Merz.

When Is the Odyssey Out in Theatres?

The Odyssey is set for release in theaters on July 17.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 6:59 AM.