‘The Odyssey’ Movie Restricts Comments Amid Heated Casting Backlash

Comments have been restricted on posts made by the official account for The Odyssey movie, amidst heated backlash over the film's casting.

The Odyssey is the highly anticipated new movie from director Christopher Nolan and follows his Oscar-winning film, Oppenheimer. The film is an epic action fantasy film, which adapts an epic poem by Homer of the same name, and stars A-listers including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya.

Much of the backlash has been criticized for being racist, misogynistic and transphobic, with the casting of Black and trans actors in the film, specifically Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page, having been criticized by right-wing voices online, including Elon Musk.

Newsweek has contacted a press representative for Universal, which is distributing the film, via email for comment.

The film signifies the culture war engulfing U.S. cinema, which in turn reflects the broader fractures and divides in modern American society.

The online storm around The Odyssey is familiar. Backlash has become routine in response to decisions around casting in adaptations or remakes, with recent high-profile examples including fallout over the casting of the remakes of Harry Potter, The Little Mermaid and Snow White.

Two recent films that sit on different pillars of polarization are Supergirl and Citizen Vigilante. The former is a blockbuster with a female heroine that is emblematic of modern cinema, while the latter has ignited controversy on account of its extreme violence and what critics have called an anti-immigration stance. Supergirl has been derided by the right, while Citizen Vigilante has been applauded.

Backlash over The Odyssey Explained

The Odyssey, the epic poem, is divided into 24 books and follows the Greek hero and king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he journeys home after the decade-long Trojan War to reunite with his wife, Penelope. In the poem, Odysseus’ journey takes him to encounter the Cyclops, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe.

Universal has said that The Odyssey was “shot across the world,” and it has been reported that the film had a $250 million budget, making it the most expensive film of Nolan’s career.

Press has begun for The Odyssey, with the premiere having been held in London on July 6.

The move to restrict comments appears to have come before the film's press circuit, with comments visible on posts dated July 4.

The film has faced controversy for months, with early criticism centering on elements such as costumes, production design and perceived historical anachronisms.

More recently, though, it became sharply polarized in response to its first trailers and centered on opposition to its casting.

Oscar winner Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy, the Greek mythological figure often regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world. Some defenders of the film have noted that Helen of Troy is a mythological figure, of whom there is no evidence that she was ever a real person, or what she may have looked like.

Nonetheless, Nyongo’s casting received backlash on X, with commentators like the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh writing that “not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is ‘the most beautiful woman in the world.’”

In one post, Walsh said that Nolan cast Nyong'o because he feared being labeled racist if he chose a white actress for the role. Musk replied, "True," and has accused Nolan of altering characters for awards-season or diversity-related reasons.

Nyong’o has dismissed this, saying in an interview with Elle, “This is a mythological story,” adding that she does not engage with the criticism.

Speaking to Elle, Nyong’o pointed to the cast’s diversity as one of its strengths. “It’s quite something to be a part of ‘The Odyssey,’ because it is so grand. It spans worlds. So that’s why the cast is what it is. We’re occupying the epic narrative of our time,” she said.

Backlash has extended beyond Nyongo’s role. The casting of Travis Scott and Page has also been criticized.

Some fans of Nolan and Homer's epic feel that Scott is primarily a musician rather than a proven actor. They worry that casting a major celebrity could be distracting in a film that already features an ensemble of established actors.

To boot, Scott remains a controversial public figure because of the 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy, where 10 people died in a crowd crush. Although criminal charges were not brought against him, some viewers are uncomfortable seeing him receive prominent film roles and continue to associate him with that event. This is one of the biggest reasons some online criticism emerged when his casting became public.

Nolan specifically defended the casting of the rapper as a bard in the film during a recent interview with Time.

“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” he said.

Much of the backlash began when online speculation claimed that Page would portray Achilles, one of the most famous heroes in Greek mythology. Critics argued that the casting was historically or mythologically inappropriate, questioning whether Page would be believable as a legendary Greek warrior. Those discussions often focused on Page's stature and physique compared with traditional depictions of mythological heroes.

A significant portion of the criticism focused on Page's identity as a transgender man. Many online commentators characterized the casting as "woke" or politically motivated.

However, Page was not cast as Achilles, but instead as Sinon, who actually does not appear in Homer's The Odyssey. His story originates from Virgil's Aeneid. In the mythology, Sinon allows himself to be captured by the Trojans and weaves a masterful sob story. He convinces them that the Greeks have abandoned him and that the giant wooden horse is an offering to Athena intended to bring good fortune to the Trojans, ultimately tricking them into opening their own gates.

In the 2026 film The Odyssey, Sinon serves as a vital supporting character and strategist.

What The Odyssey’s Early Reviews Say

But social media discourse is only one part of the picture.

The Odyssey had been touted as a “masterpiece” before its release. And the first reactions to the film show that the critics are inclined to agree.

Variety’s Jazz Tangcay said the film was a “triumphant, spectacular epic,” The Independent wrote that it is Nolan’s “biggest film to date,” and Digital Spy wrote that it is “staggering,” adding that “purists might baulk at the adaptation changes, but as an experience, nobody is doing it like Nolan.”

The Odyssey is set for release in the United States on July 17.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Gray R. Thomas