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Explained: Controversies About Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
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Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey (2026), wearing ancient Greek armor and a plumed helmet, stands in profile before a red and tan painted wall.
Illustration of a Greek warrior in armor next to large text reading "Who's who in the ODYSSEY" on a blue background.
Image of Lupita Nyong'o as Clytemnestra, looking distressed with a gold hair ornament, beside a figure in armor, in Christopher Nolan's epic film, The Odyssey, to be released July 17, 2026. She also plays her half sister Helen of Troy in the film. The casting sparked a notable wave of backlash and debates on race and representation. Orson Welles as Faustus sits at a desk with a quill, while Eartha Kitt as Helen of Troy stands behind him with her arms around his shoulders in a stage scene from Time Runs...
A large wooden Trojan horse is labeled with a blue box reading "FICTION" and an arrow pointing to it, illustrating myth versus reality in Homer's Odyssey.
Engraved bust of Homer, a bearded man in a conical cap, overlaid on a painting of a galley with rowers and winged figures.
The Draken Harald Harfagre, a large wooden Viking ship with a tall red sail, sails on the Hudson River with city buildings visible in the background.
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Videos

Who Are the Characters of Homer's Odyssey?
And how do you really pronounce Telemachus?
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Is Homer's Odyssey a True Story?
Fact or Fiction? This ancient Greek epic is less than historically accurate.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Telling the Story of Homer's Odyssey with Translator Emily Wilson
“Tell me, Muse…”
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

The Odyssey
Matt Damon as Odysseus in The Odyssey (2026), directed by Christopher Nolan.
© 2026 Universal Pictures/Syncopy
Controversial casting
Lupita Nyong'o as Clytemnestra in The Odyssey. She was also cast as her...
© 2026 Syncopy/Universal Pictures
Helen of Troy onstage
Eartha Kitt as Helen of Troy and Orson Welles as Faustus in Welles's 1950 stage adaptation...
© Lipnitzki—Roger Viollet/Getty Images
Nautical inspiration
Draken Harald Hårfagre, a modern ship built to resemble a medieval Viking longship,...
© Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Draken Harald Harfagre