Matt Damon Is Odysseus in an Epic First Look At Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Matt Damon is… Nobody. Get it? Because he’s—anyway. Universal has revealed a first look at Matt Damon in the titular role of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic adaptation of the epic tale The Odyssey.

On Monday, Universal Pictures gave the public our first-ever glimpse at the film through the movie’s main account.

The Odyssey is one of two epic poems attributed to ancient Greek poet Homer, the other being the equally famous Iliad. It tells the tale of the Greek hero and King of Ithaca, Odysseus, and his tumultuous journey home after the Trojan War.

The Trojan War lasted ten years, and Odysseus’ journey home from Troy to Ithaca would last another ten years and be equally dangerous as the war. From seductive nymphs and raging cyclops to twin sea monsters and a powerful sorceress, Odysseus will face every challenge on his journey home to his wife and son

It had been reported recently that Damon had relinquished his role in Ben Affleck’s upcoming thriller Animals due to overlapping production schedules. The Odyssey is set to begin filming this spring on the Island of Favignana in southern Italy. Nicknamed “Goat Island” (wonder why?), it is supposedly where Homer imagined Odysseus and his crew landing their boat to stock up on food.

The Odyssey will be Nolan and Damon’s third adventure together, following Nolan’s smash successes Oppenheimer and Interstellar. The Odyssey is bound to be another blockbuster smash success and the ultimate Imax experience.

Since its announcement last December, The Odyssey has become the most anticipated film of next year, and that’s saying something since filming has yet to begin.

Who Else Is in The Odyssey?

Actors officially signed on for The Odyssey are Tom Holland, Zendaya, Mia Goth, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Himesh Patel, Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, John Leguizamo, Jess Garcia, Bill Irwin, and Will Yun Lee.

they made a mistake casting a well-known actor in this role. should have gone with a real nobody https://t.co/X4y0OCvI8V

— Josh RR Jokien (@joshcarlosjosh) February 18, 2025

No other castings have been announced besides Damon as Odysseus, although many believe Tom Holland will be Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. Other characters include Zeus, the god of the sky; Poseidon, the god of the sea; and Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war.

There are also adversaries, such as the beautiful nymph Calypso, who holds Odysseus captive on her island for seven years. There is Circe, the powerful sorceress who turns his crew into pigs. There is also the famous demi-god Achilles, whom Odysseus meets in the underworld. This already astounding cast can only get bigger as more production news is announced.

The Odyssey will be released in theaters on July 17, 2026.