Every Superhero Actor In The Odyssey

Published Aug 30, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero. With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention. Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise. Without a doubt, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has one of the most impressive and star-studded casts of all time. However, it's also fun to look at all the actors in the Greek epic who've also starred in various superhero projects (there's actually a lot more than some may realize). Adapting Homer's 3,000-year-old epic, The Odyssey is easily one of the biggest movies of 2026 and one of the most impressive of Christopher Nolan's career. Featuring some of the most popular actors working in Hollywood right now, it's no wonder that so many of The Odyssey's cast have superhero acting credits as well. Keeping that in mind, here is every superhero actor in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, what character they play in Nolan's epic, and the superhero role (or roles) they're best known for. ​​​​​​ Tom Holland — Spider-Man Credit: Jay Maidment /© Marvel Entertainment / © Columbia Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Tom Holland is a key lead in The Odyssey as Telemachus, son of the legendary king of Ithaca, seeking to learn more about his father during his absence fighting the Trojan War and his decade-long journey home, while also contending with all the suitors feasting in his father's hall seeking to court his mother and gain the throne. Without a doubt, Holland's performance is one of the movie's best, particularly in the third act when father and son finally reunite and work together to retake Ithaca. Easily having the biggest superhero role among The Odyssey's cast, Holland famously plays the MCU's Peter Parker, and his latest film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, was just released only a couple of weeks after The Odyssey, receiving just as much (if not more) praise and positive reception, both critically and commercially. Zendaya — MJ Watson Arguably one of the most important roles in Nolan's version of The Odyssey, Zendaya plays Athena in this new blockbuster adaptation, appearing as a crucial guide to Odysseus while also representing his own shame and guilt over the Trojan War and his role in creating the Trojan Horse. Zendaya is, of course, Holland's Spider-Man co-star (and real-life wife), playing Michelle "MJ" Jones-Watson in the MCU. As seen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the romance between Peter and MJ was immensely complicated, with MJ no longer remembering Peter following the events of the prior Spider-Man: No Way Home. Jon Bernthal —The Punisher Jon Bernthal plays Menelaus in The Odyssey, the king of Sparta who provides Holland's Telemachus with a first-hand account of what it was like inside the Trojan Horse with his father Odysseus. In the MCU, Bernthal has played Frank Castle's Punisher since 2016, though he just made his big-screen debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a major ally to Holland's Spider-Man. Robert Pattinson — Batman Robert Pattinson plays Antinuous in The Odyssey, having previously worked with Nolan on Tenet. The most cunning and cruel of Ithaca's suitors, Pattinson's performance has been cited as one of The Odyssey's best, receiving an expanded role in Nolan's version compared to Homer's original epic. In the superhero genre, Pattinson is DC's most recent live-action Dark Knight, as seen in Matt Reeves' The Batman, which was released in 2022. At present, Pattinson is currently filming the highly anticipated sequel in Glasgow. Depicted as a younger, darker, and more unrefined interpretation of The Dark Knight, it will be fascinating to see how Pattinson's Batman has evolved in The Batman - Part II. Matt Damon —Actor Loki Of course, Matt Damon plays the lead role of Odysseus in Nolan's The Odyssey, the king of Ithaca whose legendary journey home has now been depicted on-screen like it never has before. However, Damon hilariously has a small role in the MCU playing an actor who has the role of Tom Hiddleston's Loki in a stage production recounting the events of Thor: The Dark World in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok and later the events of Ragnarok itself in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder.​​​​​​​ Anne Hathaway — Catwoman Warner Bros. Pictures Anne Hathaway plays Lady Penelope in The Odyssey, wife of Odysseus who holds the throne of Ithaca during her husband's absence while evading the suitors' proposals for 20 years. Easily giving one of the most dynamic and Oscar-worthy performances in The Odyssey, Hathaway is also a Nolan veteran, having worked on past films including Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises where she played Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. One of the most intriguing additions in the third and final Batman movie from Nolan, Hathaway's Catwoman was a perfect romantic partner/foil for Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne. John Leguizamo — The Violator John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus in The Odyssey, the blind swineherd and loyal friend of Odysseus who helps retake Ithaca from the suitors. However, Leguizamo also played the comic book villain known as The Violator in 1997's Spawn movie from Image Comics, a grotesque shapeshifting demon resembling an overweight clown as his disguise on Earth. Lupita Nyong’o — Nakia Lupita Nyong'o plays Helen in The Odyssey, wife of Menelaus and "the face that launched 1,000 ships" during the Battle of Troy. However, Nyong'o also plays Helen's sister Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon (whom she kills upon his return home from Troy). In the MCU, Lupita Nyong'o plays Nakia in 2018's Black Panther and 2023's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Originally introduced as a Wakanda spy, Nakia was also the key love interest of King T'Challa. In Wakanda Forever's ending, it was revealed that Nakia is also the mother of T'Challa's secret son, also named T'Challa. Charlize Theron —Clea Charlize Theron plays Calypso in The Odyssey, the sorceress who kept Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for years, eating lotus petals to dull his senses and fog his memory, having fallen in love with the king of Ithaca and wanting him to stay with her for eternity. However, she eventually chose to restore his memory, with Odysseus resolving to continue his journey home. Ironically, Theron also plays a sorceress in the MCU, having debuted at the end of 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Clea, the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and future wife of Stephen Strange himself in the comics. However, Theron has yet to make a second appearance in the MCU following her brief cameo post-credits role. Elliot Page — Kitty Pryde Elliot Page plays Sinon in The Odyssey, the young warrior who was sacrificed to convince the Trojans that the horse was a gift and that the Greeks had retreated. Sinon also receives an expanded role in Nolan's Odyssey connected to Pattinson's Antinous, resulting in one of the most fascinating changes from the original epic. Another Nolan veteran, Page previously starred in 2010's Inception. However, Page also played Kitty Pryde in Fox's X-Men franchise, first appearing in X-Men: The Last Stand and later having a bigger role in X-Men: Days of Future Past. One of the most beloved X-Men with the ability to phase through solid objects, one can only hope that Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men reboot will feature a brand-new version of Kitty Pryde as well.​​​​​​​