The first look for Christopher Nolan’s next hero is here. Matt Damon will star as Odysseus in Nolan’s upcoming film The Odyssey, which is what Nerdist predicted! The first look shows Damon as the king of Ithaca in traditional Greek armor, sporting a long beard, which is indicative of the time period. We should point out, many online history buffs have noted the historical inaccuracy of the costume. Looks pretty good, even still. The film’s social media account revealed Odysseus in a post.
Christopher Nolan’s production company Syncopy will begin production for the film in spring. Nolan is shooting The Odyssey in Sicily and on the island of Favignana, off the coast of Sicily. People commonly refer to Favignana as Goat Island, a name translated from Ancient Greek in ancient times.
The roles of the rest of the cast are still up in the air. However, we do know Damon is acting alongside an absolutely stacked cast, including Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal, and Charlize Theron. They are announcing new actors every day, and this isn’t even the full list.
Nolan’s The Odyssey will be based on Homer’s epic of the same name. Universal Pictures said the film “is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.” Which is typical for Nolan’s style of filmmaking.
The Odyssey will be the third film Damon and Nolan have collaborated on together. Although, Damon only played supporting characters before as Leslie Groves in Oppenheimer and Dr. Mann in Instersellar. You can catch Damon as Odysseus in theaters on July 17, 2026.