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Matt Damon's role revealed in first look at Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey"

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 11:21 PM ET

Director Christopher Nolan basically has the freedom to do whatever he wants and his next film is taking that opportunity to the limit. Nolan has chosen to take one of the defining epics in human history in "The Odyssey," and give it the full Nolan-treatment.

Details had been sparse outside of some casting announcements, but we now know who will be at the forefront of that movie:

Matt Damon is Odysseus. A film by Christopher Nolan, #TheOdysseyMovie is in theaters July 17, 2026. pic.twitter.com/7a5YbfqVfG
— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) February 17, 2025

That's right, Matt Damon is playing Odysseus the Greek hero that gives "The Odyssey" its title. Damon has worked with Nolan in the past, including in "Oppenheimer," but this has the potential to be his biggest role in a Nolan film to date.

Also announced as being in the cast for "The Odyssey" are the likes of Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and both Tom Holland and Meechee herself Zendaya.

Though a lengthy wait for "The Odyssey" remains, a star-studded Nolan movie should certainly fill that space with intrigue and excitement. Plus, in time, more casting news. Damon as Odysseus is a strong start, though.

(h/t Variety)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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