Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is an adaptation of the epic story by the ancient Greek poet Homer. It details King Odysseus’s journey home from the city of Troy to the Greek island of Ithaca, following ten years of fighting in the Trojan War. However, thanks to the machinations of the gods, Odysseus’s fleet of ships gets diverted from its course, causing years upon years of toil, death, and captivity, standing between the king and a reunion with his queen, Penelope.
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It’s no secret that Nolan’s Odyssey has cast Matt Damon in the leading role of Odysseus, or that Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) is playing Penelope, while Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) will play their son, Telemachus. But the casting for The Oddyssey goes so much deeper than that, with many of Hollywood’s biggest stars or most celebrated talents all popping up in this film.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of The Odyssey cast, along with brief descriptions on where you know them from and who they are playing.
Odysseus (Matt Damon)
The Greek king of Ithaca, Odysseus, becomes a standout in the Trojan War due to his strategic cunning. After performing his duty in the war, Odysseus needs to get back home to his queen, Penelope, before some power-hungry suitor snatches her and his throne.
Matt Damon needs no introduction, having been one of the biggest stars of the screen for decades. He previously appeared in supporting roles in Nolan’s interstellar and Oppenheimer. This will be his first leading role for the director.
Penelope (Anne Hathaway)
Homer’s Odyssey actually had a major storyline for Odysseus’s wife. After the king is away for ten years, he’s presumed dead, and a long line of suitors start making their play for the throne of Ithaca by taking Penelope as a political prize. The queen and her son try to thwart the suitors and beg the gods for help, but eventually, romantic entanglement turns into a full-on political coup.
Fans know Anne Hathaway from so many films, including The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada (which has a highly-anticipated sequel also hitting theaters in 2026). Hathaway has worked with Nolan several times previously, including her Catwoman role in The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar.
Telemachus (Tom Holland)
Odysseus’s son isn’t content to sit around like a useless prince and jumps into the political fray to help keep his father’s throne from being usurped. More than politics, though, Telemachus requests the aid of the gods in finding and protecting his father, so that he may find his way home. That request has big effect on what transpires.
Tom Holland is most famous for playing Spider-Man in Marvel and Sony’s “Home” trilogy over the last decade. While Holland has tried other major film roles (see: Uncharted, or don’t…) The Odyssey will be his biggest and most prestigious project outside of Marvel. He also has Spider-Man: Brand New Day dropping in 2026, which means his box office value may soon skyrocket.
Agamemnon (Benny Safdie)
Agamemnon is the leader of the Greek armies during the Trojan War and a ruthlessly imperial conqueror. In Homer’s Iliad, Agamemnon goes to war for his brother Menelaus, King of Sparta, after Menelaus’s wife Helen is stolen by Prince Paris of Troy. That war lasted ten years and ended with the fall of Troy via the Trojan Horse, which is where the story of Nolan’s The Odyssey begins…
Writer, director, and actor Bennie Safdie is one of Hollywood’s hottest talents right now, having acted in Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Happy Gilmore 2, while also writing and directing the Oscar-nominated film Uncut Gems, and the more recent biopic The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Agamemnon will be a very different kind of role for Safdie.
Menelaus (Jon Bernthal)
Menelaus is the king of Sparta, who is pushed into war with Troy by the insult of the Trojan prince, Paris, running off with his wife, Helen. The Trojan War is ending when the Odyssey begins, but Menelaus remains a pivotal political figure in Greece, one who can help or doom Odysseus’s future as king.
Jon Bernthal is known for playing Shane in The Walking Dead, as well as playing Frank Castle/The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, Bernthal’s Punisher will team with Tom Holland for the next Spider-Man movie, Brand New Day, in summer 2026, and will get his own Punisher Marvel Special Presentation feature soon.
Athena (Zendaya)
Zendaya is known for HBO’s Euphoria (new season arriving in 2026), as well as starring alongside her real-life beau, Tom Holland, in Marvel-Sony’s Spider-Man movies, and a starring role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies (third film currently in development). She also happens to be one of the biggest stars and fashion icons of her generation. In The Odyssey, Zendaya will appear as Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, and craft, who is called upon to protect Odysseus along his journey.
Circe (Charlize Theron)
Charlize Theron will appear in The Odyssey as Circe, a goddess and a witch who has a penchant for transforming men into animals (like pigs). Theron is an Oscar-winner who has appeared in so many high-profile films like Monster, The Devil’s Advocate, and Snow White and the Huntsman (pictured above). We couldn’t imagine a better casting for Circe.
Antinous (Robert Pattinson)
Penelope will have to fend off any number of would-be suitors, and one of the peskiest will be Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson. In the original epic, Antinous is the main antagonist amongst the suitors – the one who violates the hospitality of Odysseus’s home, and puts his family in peril. Pattinson previously worked with Nolan on the film Tenet and is best known for his role in The Twilight Saga and the DC superhero franchise The Batman.
Melantho (Mia Goth)
Mia Goth plays Melantho, a handmaid to Anne Hathaway’s Penelope. Goth is best known for Ty West’s Pearl trilogy of slasher-horror films, as well as her recent role in Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein movie.
Odysseus’s Men
John Leguizamo (Spawn) plays Odysseus’s right-hand man, Eumaeus, while Himesh Patel (Tenet), Jimmy Gonzales, and Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine) play other members of his party. There may be other actors we know featured as part of Odysseus’s traveling group, but they haven’t yet been officially disclosed.
Mystery Roles
Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther) has been cast in The Odyssey in a mystery role – and she’s far from the only one. The current cast of actors playing mystery roles in The Odyssey includes Elliot Page (Umbrella Academy), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead), Jesse Garcia (Narcos: Mexico), Rafi Gavron (A Star Is Born), Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead), Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton), Nick E. Tarabay (Spartacus), Maurice Compte (Narcos), Michael Vlamis (Roswell, New Mexico), Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer), Josh Stewart (Dark Knight Rises, Insterstellar, Tenet), Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy), Anthony Molinari, Jovan Adepo (Overlord), Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus), and James Remar (It: Welcome to Derry).
The Odyssey will hit theaters and IMAX on July 17, 2026. Talk to us about it on the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of HBO Max
