Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, like a distant lighthouse on the cinematic horizon, has cast a curiosity of epic fashion upon its mammoth actors. As 2026 nears, anticipation grows to a mythical size. Amid enormous battles, roaring oceans, and fate playing tricks, Nolan's epic has recruited Tinseltown's finest to play the parts that form the literary cornerstone.

Who exactly brings the legendary story of the gods, villains, witches, and heroes to life? 

At the core of The Odyssey is Matt Damon, who plays the role of Odysseus. He is the king of Ithaca, whose ten-year-long journey home after the Trojan War is the foundation of Homer’s epic. 

Next to Damon, Tom Holland stars as Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, who is in search of his father. Anne Hathaway is cast as Penelope, the loving wife of Odysseus, who patiently waits and still has faith in her husband’s return.

Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, the one on whom they rely during their challenges and hardships, as she is the protector of Homer's leading man. Charlize Theron, on the other hand, takes on the role of Circe, the famous goddess and witch.

The star-studded cast also welcomes Robert Pattinson in the character of Antinous, one of the main suitors of Penelope, responsible for several crises. Menelaus, the Spartan king who is closely related to Odysseus’s story because of the Trojan War, is played by Jon Bernthal, while Mia Goth stars in the role of Melantho, a maid of Odysseus and Penelope. But there is more.

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With ever more characters, the cast list goes on to become an epic on its own.

The Odyssey cast combines veteran Oscar winners, chameleon thespians, heartthrobs, and unique character actors, lending Christopher Nolan a highly capable arsenal to make one of the oldest stories in literature appealing to a new generation. Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Corey Hawkins, and several others contribute to the lineup that not only offers spectral depth but also mythic spectacle. 

Benny Safdie plays Agamemnon, John Leguizamo is Eumaeus, Odysseus's faithful servant. Himesh Patel stars as Eurylochus, Odysseus's second-in-command, while Will Yun Lee is one of Odysseus's shipmates, and Jimmy Gonzales is Cepheus, a member of Odysseus's crew.

Additionally, actors in undisclosed supporting roles like Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick E. Tarabay, Maurice Compte, Michael Vlamis, Iddo Goldberg, Josh Stewart, Ryan Hurst, Anthony Molinari, Jovan Adepo, Logan Marshall-Green, and James Remar round out the cast of mortal or mythical beings like gods, Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and more.

While The Odyssey heads for its opening on July 17, 2026, the world is ready for the once-in-a-lifetime epic cinematic experience of a literary classic, where every actor's choice reveals more about the ever-lasting search for home, honor, and fate, which form the roots of the story. 

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