Two-time Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan is heading to ancient Greece, as he is directing a retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey that is set to debut in theaters on July 17, 2026. As with many of Nolan’s films, he is gathering a star-studded cast to help tell his story, and we’re here to break down who will be part of the film.
While there have been a ton of reports on cast additions to the film, the only actor officially linked to a character is Matt Damon, as he will be playing the lead character, Odysseus. However, the first teaser trailer for The Odyssey is out now alongside Jurassic World Rebirth and has started revealing more, although Universal has yet to release it outside of theaters at the moment. The footage appears to confirm Damon will be joined by Tom Holland’s Telemachus, Jon Bernthal’s King Menelaus, and potentially Lupita Nyong’o’s Helen of Troy.
Other reports say Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and more will also be joining the cast, but we’ll have to wait to see who they’ll be playing.
You can check out our list of The Odyssey’s cast and characters below, and be sure to check back often as we will be updating this list as more details are revealed! Until then, be sure to check out our look at why Nolan is actually the perfect guy to make an Odyssey movie.
The Odyssey Cast and Characters
Matt Damon as Odysseus
Matt Damon is set to star in Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey, playing Odysseus himself. Damon’s name was the first to appear when word of this project surfaced, and his appearance in The Odyssey will mark the third time the Academy Award-winning actor has worked with Nolan following Interstellar and Oppenheimer.
Tom Holland as Telemachus
Tom Holland, Spider-Man himself, has joined the cast of The Odyssey, and People reported that he’ll be playing Odysseus’ son Telemachus. This appears to have been confirmed with the teaser trailer. Along with playing Spider-Man in the MCU, Holland has also been seen in Uncharted, Last Call, Cherry, Onward, and more.
Zendaya
Zendaya, who also appeared in the Spider-Man films as MJ and is engaged to Tom Holland, will appear in The Odyssey in an as-yet-announced role. There is the potential for something pretty meta to happen in the Odyssey if she ends up playing Athena, as there are moments in Homer’s epic where the character is disguised as Telemachus, who Holland is seemingly playing.
Zendaya has also appeared in the Dune films, Euphoria, Challengers, The Greatest Showman, and more.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson, who starred alongside John David Washington in Nolan’s Tenet, has joined this cast and will add this film to his ever-growing resume that includes The Batman, Mickey 17, Twilight, The Boy and the Heron, and more.
Lupita Nyong’o
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o of Black Panther, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 12 Years a Slave, and Us fame has joined the cast of The Odyssey in an undisclosed role. The first teaser trailer appears to confirm Nyong’o will play Helen of Troy.
Anne Hathaway
Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway is another member of this cast who has worked with Nolan more than once, as she starred in both The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. Hathaway has previously appeared in Les Misérables, The Devil Wears Prada, Ocean’s 8, The Princess Diaries, and much more.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is another Oscar-winning addition to the cast of The Odyssey, and she will add this film to her impressive catalog that includes Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Fast X, The Old Guard, and more.
Jon Bernthal as King Menelaus
Jon Bernthal won’t only be appearing alongside Tom Holland as The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but, via Deadline, he’ll also be joining the Spider-Man actor in Nolan’s The Odyssey. Bernthal has previously been seen in The Bear, Daredevil, The Accountant 2, The Walking Dead, and more. The teaser trailer appears to confirm Bernthal will be playing King Menelaus.
Benny Safdie
Via THR, actor-director Benny Safdie will be part of Nolan’s next film. Safdie has previously worked with Nolan, as he starred as physicist Edward Teller in Oppenheimer. Safdie is also known for his work co-directing Uncut Gems and acting in The Curse, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi.
John Leguizamo
Via Variety, John Leguizamo, known for his work in Moulin Rogue!, Romeo + Juliet, Encanto, Ice Age, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and more, is another member of the cast of The Odyssey.
Elliot Page
Via THR, Elliot Page, who also appeared in Nolan’s Inception, will play another key part in The Odyssey. Page’s line of work includes Juno, The Umbrella Academy, Close to You, and more.
Other The Odyssey Cast Members
- Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Station Eleven, and The Franchise)
- Bill Irwin (Voice of TARS in Interstellar, Rustin, and Third Rock from the Sun)
- Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen, The Entertainment System Is Down, and In America)
- Mia Goth (MaXXXIne)
- Corey Hawkins (The Color Purple, BlackKklansman, and The Walking Dead)
- Jesse Garcia (The Mother and Flamin’ Hot)
- Will Yun Lee (San Andreas and The Good Doctor)
- Rafi Gavron (A Star Is Born and Breaking and Entering)
- Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead and Deadgirl)
- Nick Tarabay (Spartacus and The Expanse)
- Jimmy Gonzales (Busboys and Mayans M.C)
- Maurice Compte (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Mayans M.C.)
- Michael Vlamis (Roswell, New Mexico)
- Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer)
- Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun)
- Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead)
Other cast members via THR, Variety, and Deadline.
Other The Odyssey Characters Whose Casting We’re Still Waiting to Hear About
- Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful and long-suffering wife
- Athena, goddess and protector of Odysseus
- Calypso, a nymph who holds Odysseus prisoner on her island for seven years
- Circe, a witch who transforms Odysseus’ men into pigs
- Poseidon, god of the sea and tormentor of Odysseus
- Antinous, one of the main suitors vying for Odysseus’ wife, land and throne
- Eumaeus, Odysseus’ faithful swineherd
- Laertes, Odysseus’ aging father
- Polyphemus, the cyclops who dines on many of Odysseus’ men
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
