The polarized reactions to the first-look image of Matt Damon in costume as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’sThe Odysseysuggest that Nolan is about to be inundated with more Batman-style complaints from a fervent fan base. Two decades ago, Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise withhis hugely influentialDark Knighttrilogy. The response to Nolan’s Batman movies turned him from a mid-budget thriller director to a mega-budget blockbuster director. He’s one of the only filmmakers who can command a nine-figure budget for an ambitious original project.
Nolan’s latest ambitious opus is a straightforward adaptation of Homer’sThe Odyssey. WhileThe Odysseyhas been adapted into all kinds of genres and settings over the years, Nolan is planning to translate Homer’s original text directly to the screen. AlthoughThe Odysseywon’t arrive in IMAX theaters until July 06, 2025— over a year from now —Nolan has already revealed an image of Damon as Odysseus. The response to this image on social media suggests that Nolan is about to contend with a fan community that’s as hard-to-please as DC lovers.
Matt Damon’s Odysseus Look Is Already Sparking Debate (Just Like Batman’s Costume)
Complaints Range From “Boring” To “Fifteen 9/11s”
As soon asThe Odyssey’s first look was revealed,history and literature buffs took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to complain about its inaccuracyto history and the source material. A user calledguy who’s really intoThe Iliadwrote that it makes the movie look “boring.” A user calledNikolajemployed some hyperbole and compared Damon’s costume to “fifteen 9/11s.”A user namedBig Sergejoked, “Hollywood can never resist the siren song of the generic ancient broom helmet.”An article inThe Standard, written by a self-confessed “insufferable history nerd,” points out everything wrong with Odysseus’ armor.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey Movie Is Already Living Up To His Post-Oppenheimer Promise
Christopher Nolan’s next movie will be an adaptation of The Odyssey, and he’s already keeping the promise he made about his post-Oppenheimer work.
These complaints are reminiscent of the debates surroundingNolan’s Batman movies. Pretty muchevery aspect of Nolan’s take on the character and his design was debated and critiqued. A lot of people loved it, but some didn’t, and it was all pored over and scrutinized in extreme detail: it’s too grounded, the color should’ve been gray, the ears aren’t the right size, the cowl is too stiff. Some people said it was too different; others said it wasn’t different enough. This is already being repeated withThe Odyssey. After dividing DC fans,Nolan is now dividing history and classics aficionados.
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Movies Actually Show He’s Great For The Odyssey
Comics Books Are Essentially The Modern Myths
Nolan’s Batman movies prove he’s perfect forThe Odyssey— not only because it was the first clear sign that he can make incredible action-adventure blockbusters (and has nothing to prove at this point), but because comic books are, essentially, the modern myths.Nolan displayed a great ability to adapt them to his own vision, while staying true to the core of the character.The Odysseywill be a little different fromBatman Beginsin terms of following the story more closely, but there’s no reason to doubt Nolan’s ability to deliver a mind-blowing cinematic epic.
