Elon Musk Doubles Down on Slamming ‘The Odyssey’ Casting: ‘Who Specifically Is the A–hole Who Added DEI Lies to Academy Awards Eligibility?’

Elon Musk is continuing his campaign against Christopher Nolan‘s “The Odyssey,” asserting that the Academy’s diversity guidelines are responsible for the director selecting a diverse array of cast members for the historical epic. “Who specifically is the asshole who added DEI lies to Academy Awards eligibility instead of it just being about making the best movie?” he asked. Musk doubled down on his attacks Friday, writing on X, “Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award.” Musk’s comments don’t take into consideration the fact that Nolan’s Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” had a white cast and was Oscar-eligible due to a number of other factors. Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award …— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 15, 2026 Musk ramped up his criticism Wednesday after Nolan confirmed that Lupita N’yong’o would join the cast of “The Odyssey” as Helen of Troy. He amplified a tweet from conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who wrote, “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’ But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave’ the most beautiful woman’ role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward.” Musk replied, “True” and continued to promote his position that Nolan’s casting is being engineered to win awards. He also objected to the casting of Eliot Page, retweeting posts mocking the actor’s masculinity. Popular on Variety The Academy’s Representation and Inclusion Standards for Best Picture eligibility were announced in 2020 and put into practice in 2024, requiring films to meet two out of the four standards for equitable representation on and off screen, including casting, subject matter, leadership and department heads, crew, apprenticeships and/or audience development. The full Representation and Inclusion Standards are available on the Academy’s website. “The Odyssey” opens in theaters on July 17.