Christopher Nolan has shared new details about Matt Damon’s portrayal of Odysseus as The Odyssey approaches its theatrical release. While discussing the film in a recent interview, the acclaimed filmmaker drew a comparison between the Greek hero and one of Star Wars’ most iconic characters. His comments have further fueled anticipation for the film.
Christopher Nolan compares Matt Damon’s Odyssey character to Han Solo
Christopher Nolan believes Matt Damon’s Odysseus shares qualities with one of Star Wars’ most beloved characters.
During a recent interview with The New York Times, the interviewer compared Damon’s Odysseus to the way in which Nolan once described the title character in his Oscar-winning biopic Oppenheimer.
Responding to this, Nolan said The Odyssey prompted him to reflect on several ideas that have carried across his work, including leadership and human flaws. He said, “Every film I do, I like to leave it with questions or unanswered themes that I might carry through to the next film. There’s a lot of ideas of leadership, of mixed motivations, the flaws of people, that idea of where the best of intentions can go horribly wrong.”
Describing Odysseus as an intelligent and cunning figure, Nolan drew a comparison to Han Solo. He explained, “Odysseus is a very complex character — a trickster, somebody who’s smart and wily. In Star Wars terms, it’s Han Solo — but Han Solo is not the hero of Star Wars, it’s Luke Skywalker.”
In a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film, Damon described The Odyssey as “the biggest movie I’ve ever done in my career.” He added, “I feel like we’ve made six or seven movies, and in a sense we did.”
Alongside Damon, The Odyssey stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron, among others. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026.
