Christopher Nolan Says His Odysseus Is More Han Solo Than Luke Skywalker

Published Jul 17, 2026, 1:05 PM EDT The Odyssey's Odysseus is linked to this Star Wars icon. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is an adaptation of an ancient Greek poem by Homer and is said to have been composed around 800 BC. It is one of the oldest and most foundational works of Western literature, and follows the 10-year struggle as Odysseus travels home after the Trojan War to Ithaca. The story has been retold over the centuries, and now one of the most anticipated releases is bringing the epic story to life. In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, legendary filmmaker Nolan discussed his new movie The Odyssey and dived into his previous works, such as Oppenheimer, which was a major success. Nolan takes a look at how the parallels are almost impossible to ignore, as both main characters share the same complicated nature on whether they're heroes or something else entirely: Liam Crowley: I want to zero in on the parallels between Odysseus and Oppenheimer, because specifically on the translation I read by Robert Fitzgerald, Odysseus is a very different style hero. And if this teeters on spoilers, we'll save it until after release. But there's a bit of remorse Odysseus feels about the fall of Troy. And I saw so many parallels to that and the Trinity Test. Did you feel like working on Oppenheimer and reading that book American Prometheus influenced your interpretation of The Odyssey? Christopher Nolan: It is a little spoilery. I feel like when I really burrow into a film and spend a couple years making it, you want to leave it with certain questions or certain themes that you could examine further or in more depth. I certainly felt, with the Odyssey, coming to it, having worked on Oppenheimer for a couple of years and having wrestled with the portrayal of this character of Oppenheimer, who is not a typical heroic figure, and Odysseus isn't a typical heroic figure either. And these ideas of the cost of war, the impact of these things, I brought that through very much to my reading of The Odyssey because I think it was so much on my mind from having dealt with the character of Oppenheimer. And so I think Odysseus is not a traditional hero. He's a complicated figure, a complex man. I mean, the adjective most often associated with Odysseus is wily, which is not a typical character trait of a heroic figure. The filmmaker also shared how Odysseus (played by Matt Damon) resembled an iconic Star Wars character, and how the character has more traits of a supporting character like Han Solo, needed to be transformed into a Luke Skywalker and lead the epic tale: Christopher Nolan: Part of the challenge of the adaptation, and helped greatly by casting Matt Damon, is how do you take what would be more the attributes of a supporting character, more your kind of Han Solo in Star Wars than your Luke Skywalker. How do you take that and move that figure to center stage and have the audience go with this? That was a lot of what we dealt with Cillian on Oppenheimer and with Matt playing Odysseus. It's the same thing. He's not afraid to play the complex nature of the man. He's not a simple, heroic figure, but Matt has that relationship with the audience. He draws you in, and he takes you on that journey. Odysseus, in the original poem, is certainly the main character of the story, but there are certainly notable characters who also have stories to share. Odysseus, his wife Penelope (played by Anne Hathaway), and his son Telemachus (played by Tom Holland) each have significant parts throughout The Odyssey as the adaptation divides the movie into multiple parallel narratives. Nolan ensured that Damon was the perfect casting for Odysseus as his leading man, similarly to Cillian Murphy, who took on the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 movie. While Han Solo is a main character, it's Luke Skywalker who takes center stage and becomes the protagonist despite the conflicting narrative, particularly for Odysseus and Oppenheimer, who aren't typical heroes, but certainly have their own tales to share. The Odyssey has already achieved a huge feat for Nolan and has achieved a record-breaking near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96%, with a 97% from audiences. Critics have stated that the movie is a "masterpiece," and it certainly has made the history books. With such a historical text to adapt, Nolan managed to add himself to cinematic history books as he's made the first commercial feature film shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. The Odyssey has journeyed into theaters and is available to watch now. Release Date July 17, 2026 Runtime 172 Minutes Director Christopher Nolan Writers Christopher Nolan, Homer Producers Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is a 2026 adaptation of Homer's epic poem, chronicling Odysseus's treacherous journey home from the Trojan War.