Christopher Nolan returns to the big screen on July 17 with "The Odyssey," his ambitious take on Homer’s ancient Greek epic. Following Odysseus on his decade-long journey home after the Trojan War, the film promises turbulent seas, mythical creatures, powerful gods and spectacle. Matching that epic scope is a star-studded cast, bringing together Oscar winners, blockbuster favourites and one unexpected music star. From Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway to Zendaya and Travis Scott, here are the names leading Nolan’s latest spectacle

Matt Damon as Odysseus

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At the centre of Nolan’s epic is Matt Damon as Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca whose journey home after the Trojan War turns into a decade-long fight for survival. Cunning and strategic rather than simply powerful, Odysseus takes Damon firmly into mythological-hero territory. It is his third collaboration with Nolan after Interstellar (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023).

Anne Hathaway as Penelope

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Anne Hathaway reunites with Nolan as Penelope, Odysseus’s wife and the queen of Ithaca. While her husband remains missing, she must hold their household together and outsmart the suitors competing to marry her and claim the kingdom. The role marks Hathaway’s third Nolan project, following The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Interstellar (2014).

Tom Holland as Telemachus

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Tom Holland takes on the role of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, who has grown up knowing his absent father mostly through stories. With Ithaca’s throne under threat, the young prince sets out to find answers, beginning a coming-of-age journey that sees him discover his courage and step towards manhood.

Zendaya as Athena

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Zendaya steps into divine territory as Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare who watches over Odysseus and helps guide Telemachus. Rather than remaining a distant presence, Athena actively shapes both of their journeys at crucial moments. Notably, the role reunites her onscreen with Holland beyond their work in the Spider-Man franchise.

Robert Pattinson as Antinous

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After Tenet (2020), Robert Pattinson returns to Nolan’s world as Antinous, the most dangerous and ambitious of Penelope’s suitors. With Odysseus presumed gone, he sets his sights on the throne and sees Telemachus as an obstacle. Pattinson gives the villain a glamorous, calculating presence, making him a striking human threat among the film’s gods and monsters.

Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra

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Lupita Nyong’o takes on two of the film’s most intriguing roles, playing sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Helen stands at the heart of the conflict that sparks the Trojan War, while Clytemnestra’s marriage to Agamemnon leads to a darker story of resentment and revenge. Together, the roles offer contrasting views of the war’s consequences.

Charlize Theron as Calypso

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Making her Nolan debut, Charlize Theron plays Calypso, the immortal nymph who keeps Odysseus on the island of Ogygia during his long journey home. She offers him affection, safety and even the promise of immortality, but also keeps him from returning to Ithaca. It is one of the epic’s most emotionally complicated encounters.

Travis Scott as the Bard

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Travis Scott brings the film’s most unexpected casting twist as the Bard, using music and verse to recount tales of war and heroism. Nolan cast the rapper to connect Homer’s oral storytelling tradition with modern rap, while Scott’s hit “FE!N” is reportedly set to soundtrack a crucial scene - a reveal that has already sent social media into overdrive imagining what the moment might look like.

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