Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is coming to theaters this month, and ahead of its release, the film has been enduring some criticism online about its “woke” casting choices. The Oscar-winning director has finally broken his silence on the complaints, making it clear he’s not concerned about them whatsoever.
The Odyssey controversy was brought up by The Telegraph during a conversation with Nolan. The Oppenheimer helmer quickly dismissed it, feeling that this kind of discourse simply “comes with the territory.” He also pointed out how none of the people complaining online have yet seen the movie, making their concerns “irrelevant” compared to what the critics who have watched the historical epic have actually said. Notably, the early reviews following its world premiere were very strong.
Christopher Nolan Says the Backlash “Comes With the Territory”
“Comes with the territory,” Nolan said. “These conversations that happen before people see the film – they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet.”
The first reactions to The Odyssey were universally positive. CBR’s own Rachel Leishman said that the movie is “as epic as its source material with that level of Christopher Nolan spark that makes it something special.” Other critics were echoing this sentiment, using words like “epic,” “perfection,” and “absolute triumph.” It remains to be seen how filmgoers will react upon seeing the movie this month, but the very high marks from critics are certainly a strong start.
One of the main points of backlash about the movie’s casting related to Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, the legendary Greek figure whose abduction sparks the Trojan War. While the character is mythological, critics have argued that Helen is traditionally depicted as a Greek woman with light skin, calling the move to cast a Black woman in the role “race-swapping” in order to drive modern diversity politics. Other remarks made by commentators that add to the backlash include the casting of trans man Elliot Page and modern rapper Travis Scott.
The Odyssey Has a Star-Studded Cast
Other names that are part of the movie’s star-studded cast include Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Himesth Patel, Will Yun Lee, and Benny Safdie. Nyong’o has dual roles in the film, as in addition to Helen of Troy, she’s also playing the character’s sister, Clytmnestra. She recently suggested that the movie will have a larger focus on the female perspective of the story compared to the original Greek poem written by Homer.
“When you read The Iliad and The Odyssey, very little time is spent in the perspective of the women,” she said during a press junket, via DC Film Girl. :It’s told from a very masculine side of things. But this film takes time to really consider things from the female perspective. And so we see in Helen and Clytemnestra how this war has affected them both, and they respond to it very differently because their experience of it is very different.”
The Odyssey will be released in movie theaters on July 17, 2026.
- Release Date
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July 17, 2026
- Runtime
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172 Minutes
