MOVIE NEWS – Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has become one of the most heavily discussed films of 2026, and the mystery around Elliot Page’s role has only made the speculation louder. Some viewers thought a brief trailer shot pointed toward Achilles, but newer reports suggest a different answer, while Universal has still not officially confirmed the character.
Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is already positioned as one of the biggest theatrical releases of 2026. Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, the movie follows Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, as he tries to return home after the Trojan War. The production brings together a massive cast, a reported budget of around $250 million, and a scale that Nolan has described as the largest he has ever attempted. It is also the first of his films to be shot entirely with IMAX 70 mm cameras, which immediately puts it in the same conversation as the director’s most technically ambitious work. Several major roles have been confirmed or widely reported, but many parts remain officially undisclosed, and that secrecy has turned the cast list into a puzzle for fans.
The currently known or widely reported cast includes:
- Matt Damon – Odysseus
- Tom Holland – Telemachus
- Anne Hathaway – Penelope
- Zendaya – undisclosed role
- Robert Pattinson – undisclosed role
- Charlize Theron – undisclosed role
- Lupita Nyong’o – reportedly Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra
- Elliot Page – now reportedly expected to play Elpenor
The latest trailer intensified speculation around Page in particular. A short and unclear shot led some viewers to believe he might be playing a version of Achilles, and the theory quickly spread online despite the lack of official confirmation from the studio. Newer entertainment coverage now points in another direction, however, suggesting that Page is actually expected to play Elpenor, a lesser-known member of Odysseus’ crew. In Homer’s story, Elpenor dies in a simple accident during the journey and later briefly becomes important when Odysseus encounters him in the underworld. That would make Page’s role very different from the larger-than-life warrior image attached to Achilles.
The distinction matters. Achilles is one of the defining heroic figures of Greek myth, a name that instantly suggests battlefield glory, tragic rage, and mythic spectacle. Elpenor, by contrast, is smaller, more fragile, and more human in the structure of the story, remembered less for triumph than for an accidental death and a haunting return. If the reports are accurate, Nolan may be using Page not for one of the most obvious heroic roles, but for a figure who can underline the cost of Odysseus’ journey in a quieter and more unsettling way. That would fit Nolan’s broader habit of using scale and spectacle while still letting guilt, memory, and consequence do much of the dramatic work beneath the surface.
The film has been in development since 2024, with Universal Pictures backing the project as it expanded into one of Nolan’s most expensive productions. Casting continued through 2024 and early 2025, while filming took place across several countries, including Greece, Italy, Morocco, Iceland, and Malta. Because so many roles remain hidden, fans are still dissecting every trailer frame and every casting report, but for now Page’s character has not been officially announced by the studio. Current reporting points toward Elpenor rather than Achilles, which would close one of the louder fan theories after the trailer, unless Universal later confirms otherwise. The Odyssey is scheduled to open in US theaters on July 17, 2026, with IMAX expected to play a central role in its release strategy.
Source: Comic Basics, Universal Pictures
