The Odyssey, one of the most-anticipated movies of 2026, has been in the news for its cast as much as it has been for Christopher Nolan’s reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 21st century. Nolan has picked some of the best actors in Hollywood today for this epic movie. Each name is a powerhouse of talent.
Nolan is known for creating magic on the big screen with his mind-boggling sci-fi stories. This is the first time he is helming a mythological action movie, a retelling of Homer’s epic poem of the same name about the ancient Greek hero Odysseus and his long, perilous journey from Troy to Ithaca.
Homer’s Odyssey begins immediately after his other epic poem, the Iliad. However, unlike the Iliad, which features a galaxy of heroes in a war between two kingdoms, the Odyssey is about one character and his encounters with gods, demons, giants and nymphs on his way back home. The story is essentially of persistence and the human spirit, as much as it is of loyalty, courage and family.
Most of the actors and the characters they play in Nolan’s The Odyssey are confirmed, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as his wife, Penelope, and Tom Holland as their son, Telemachus. Some others are rumoured to be part of the movie, including Elliot Page. Fans think Page is appearing as Achilles — the hero played by Brad Pitt in Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy (2004).
The characters in Homer’s epic poem are multi-layered. Each actor seems to be a perfect pick for their role. So, who is playing whom, and what does Homer’s Odyssey tell us about them? Here is a detailed look at them. There are no spoilers. You can read and watch the movie when it releases in theatres on 17 July.
Note: This is a spoiler-free explanation of the characters as they are depicted in Homer’s poem.
All major cast members and the characters they play in The Odyssey
Matt Damon as Odysseus
Damon plays the titular Homeric hero in Nolan’s film. The film marks his third with the director. Odysseus appears in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, but he is the central figure in the latter. He is the king of Ithaca who fights in the Trojan War on Agamemnon’s side, alongside other Greek heroes, including Achilles. After spending 10 years fighting the war and earning glory on the battlefield, Odysseus prepares to return home. But it would take him another 10 years to reunite with his family because he angers Poseidon.
Tom Holland as Telemachus
Holland, everyone’s favourite Spider-Man, plays Odysseus’ son Telemachus. In the Iliad, Odysseus initially feigned insanity to avoid joining the Trojan War by plowing his field with a donkey and an ox. Palamedes, another Greek hero, places an infant Telemachus in front of the plow. Odysseus hesitates, and his deception is revealed. By the time of the events in Odyssey, Telemachus is a young boy trying to prevent the numerous suitors in Ithaca from marrying his mother. As he grows older during the course of the epic, he ventures to several places, including Sparta, in search of his father.
Anne Hathaway as Penelope
Hathaway, who won an Oscar for her performance in Les Misérables (2012), was one of the first actors to be cast in The Odyssey. Penelope is Odysseus’ wife and Telemachus’ mother. She is one of the most powerful female characters in Greek epics, known for her quiet resilience as she waits patiently for her husband to return while efficiently managing their lands. The biggest challenge she faces is from the suitors, who not only want to marry her but also have an eye on Ithaca.
Robert Pattinson as Antinous
Pattinson is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. For many, he is quickly becoming the Batman. The Odyssey is his second film of 2026 after The Drama, and his performance is what almost everyone is eager to see on the big screen. Antinous, his character, is one of the most despicable figures in Homer’s poem. He is one of Penelope’s chief suitors and conspires to gain control over Ithaca. In Homer’s poem, he also attempts to have a grown-up Telemachus killed when the latter is away from Ithaca searching for his father. The trailer of Nolan’s film shows Pattinson’s Antinous harbouring a grudge against Telemachus because he sees the young man as a hindrance on his path.
Charlize Theron as Calypso
The Odyssey marks the first collaboration between Oscar-winner Theron and Nolan. She plays Calypso, a nymph who lives on the island of Ogygia. In Homer’s poem, a shipwrecked Odysseus washes up on the island of Ogygia and is forced by Calypso to remain on the island as her lover for seven years. She promises him immortality if he stays, but Odysseus pines to return. It is only when the gods send Mercury to warn Calypso to release Odysseus that she lets him go.
Though the seven-year period on Ogygia is the longest that Odysseus spends in one place during his 10-year-long journey, the poem dedicates only one chapter to it.
Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
Though she is internationally popular as Nakia in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Oscar-winner Nyong’o has aced in roles few can handle. This makes her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. Her portrayal of Helen of Troy is therefore expected to be a scene-stealer.
Helen is the most important character in the Iliad. She is the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, who goes to war with Troy after she flees with Trojan prince Paris. Helen is back in Sparta with her husband in the Odyssey. She meets Telemachus with her husband when the young man arrives in Sparta enquiring about his father. According to Time Magazine, Nyong’o also plays Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon.
Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy has generated the ire of racist right-wingers on social media. Elon Musk is among those who criticised Nolan’s decision to cast her. The world’s richest man said that Nolan has “grossly insulted the Greek people”. In response, Nyong’o told Elle that people should remember that the Odyssey is a “mythological story” and that the “cast is representative of the world”.
Zendaya as Athena
Zendaya plays the goddess Athena. In Homer’s epic, she helps Odysseus on several occasions. She is also the one who, in disguise, encourages Telemachus to leave Ithaca in search of his father. Since Holland is playing Telemachus in the movie, there is a possibility of scenes featuring him with Zendaya. That would be a delight for fans of the real-life couple.
Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
In Homer’s epic poem, Menelaus is a king of Sparta and the brother of Agamemnon. Helen, who fled Troy with Trojan prince Paris, is his wife. Menelaus appears in Book IV of the Odyssey. Telemachus visits him in Sparta searching for his father. Stills from Nolan’s The Odyssey show Bernthal’s Menelaus engaged in a battle, which could be a scene from the Trojan War sequence.
Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
Agamemnon is the king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and the leader of all the Greeks who fight in the Trojan War. The trailers of Nolan’s movie show Safdie under a highly stylised, all-black helmet that instantly evokes a sense of authority and power. All Greeks, including Odysseus, bow before Agamemnon. He is a primary figure in the Iliad but is not so in the Odyssey. But Odysseus meets his spirit before the shipwreck that lands him on Ogygia. It is therefore likely that Safdie’s role in Nolan’s movie is limited to the Trojan War sequences.
John Leguizamo as Eumaeus the Swineherd
Eumaeus the Swineherd is Odysseus’ loyal servant. He continues serving the household in his master’s absence and is an old man by the time Odysseus meets him again. The character is pivotal to the events that unfold following Odysseus’ return.
Samantha Morton as Circe
Circe is the daughter of the sun god Helios. Odysseus and his crew land on her island, Aeaea, where she turns his men into pigs. Odysseus overcomes Circe’s magic using Hermes’ magical herb and forces her to restore his men to their original form. Interestingly, Homer’s epic says Circe and Odysseus become lovers.
Bill Irwin as Polyphemus the Cyclops
Polyphemus the Cyclops is one of the most interesting characters and one of the first dangers Odysseus and his men face after leaving Troy. The giant devours many of Odysseus’ crew, and the remaining members escape by blinding the cyclops. In the Odyssey, Odysseus, in his arrogance, reveals his name to Polyphemus while escaping. All of his problems begin after this, as Polyphemus requests his father, Poseidon, to punish Odysseus.
Mia Goth as Melantho
Melantho is an untrustworthy maid in Homer’s Odyssey. Though raised lovingly by Penelope “as her own child”, she chooses to side with the conniving suitors against the family. The epic poem leaves her fate open to interpretation. This leaves room for Nolan to introduce layers to the character. Given Goth’s remarkable success with acclaimed directors, including Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), there is a chance her role might be an expanded one.
(Hero and Featured images: Courtesy of IMDb)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
