Christopher Nolan Making A "Sequel" To This $497M Historical Epic Is Actually Way Better Than A Real Sequel Happening

By Abigail Stevens

Published Mar 5, 2025

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Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey's cast is incredibly impressive, with Matt Damon confirmed to be in the lead role and both regular and first-time Nolan collaborators on board.

With this star-studded cast and Nolan's skill for sweeping large-scale visual masterpieces, there is overwhelming reason to be excited about The Odyssey. In 2027, we could be referring to this as Christopher Nolan's new best movie — even if Oppenheimer is tough to beat. However, the narratives of The Iliad and The Odyssey (both by Homer) have been adapted before. Rather than setting up competition for Nolan's latest project, 2026's The Odyssey is likely to be the unofficial and much better sequel to an average-at-best example.

How Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Works As A Sequel To Troy

The Odyssey Is The Story Of What Happens After The Trojan War

Troy, the 2004 blockbuster depicting the Trojan War, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles and Eric Bana as Hector. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey, also appears in this movie, played by Sean Bean. According to legend, the Trojan War began due to the kidnapping of Helen, the wife of Menelaus, by the Trojan prince Paris. Subsequently, many Greek warriors and royals were called upon to lay siege to Troy to get her back, including Achilles and Odysseus.

Matt Damon as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey and Brad Pitt as Achilles in Troy

Matt Damon Is Great, But I Wanted To See Christopher Nolan Cast This Actor As Odysseus Instead

Matt Damon is a great choice, but I was hoping to see someone else as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's rendition of The Odyssey.

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Troy showcases the inevitable confrontation between Achilles and Hector, and the end of the Trojan War. The Odyssey's narrative is what happens after the war is over, as Odysseus attempts to get home to his family but angers the god Poseidon, who uses all his power to prevent Odysseus from ever reaching Ithaca again. The character's presence in Troy is something of a nod to The Odyssey; while Odysseus plays an important part in the Trojan War, he has his own story that will happen in the aftermath.

Christopher Nolan Can Make A Much Better Troy Sequel Than A Real One Would Be

Troy Is Mostly A Fun Action Flick, Without Much Critical Acclaim

Troy never got a sequel, which was probably for the best. The blockbuster is entertaining, but it shies away from depicting the most brutal parts of the Trojan War, which drives home the message of the devastation resulting from pride and jealousy. Among other things, Achilles ends up in a highly romanticized and nonsensical romantic subplot with Briseis (Rose Byrne), a captive Trojan woman, and nearly all the of the Trojan royal family survive and escape. It's a high-budget movie, but ultimately empty, whereas Nolan is known for loading his stunning visuals with effective thematic weight.

Nolan's direction and Damon's performance are likely to showcase the true individual and communal toll of the war and the titular journey.

Essentially, if The Odyssey is a sequel to Troy, it is probably going to be much better than what the real sequel to Troy would have been. Nolan's direction and Damon's performance are likely to showcase the true individual and communal toll of the war and the titular journey, with much more nuanced character arcs all around. In fact, some are wondering if Nolan should have made The Iliad into a movie first. While The Odyssey works fine as a standalone, anyone would want to see what Nolan would do with the often tragic corpus of Greek mythology, no matter which specific tale.