It’s official: Matt Damon will be in one of the best hero stories ever conceived, The Odyssey. Damon is going to be Odysseus in Christoper Nolan’s next epic. We will finally get an updated take on this heroic poem story that came from 24 books attributed to the Greek poet Homer. Damon will be playing the king of Ithaca, who, after surviving the Trojan War, wanders for 10 years, cursed never to return home. We will finally get a new look at a story older than the Bible.
One Of The Oldest Stories Ever Told
First, let’s go into Matthew Paige Damon, who was born on October 8, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts. Son to the professor, stockbroker, realtor, and tax preparer for parents descended from England, Finish, Swedish, and the Scotts. When growing up, he lived close and became good friends with Ben Affleck. Attending Harvard University wasn’t quite working out for him as he kept cutting classes to take acting opportunities.
His first big break came in the 1990 TNT original film Rising Son. From that time, he worked his way up in films like Mystic Pizza, School Ties, and Courage Under Fire before he was in Good Will Hunting, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards. He has done action movies like Saving Private Ryan and the Bourne series and acted with some of the world’s best in the Ocean’s Eleven movies with George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
Matt Damon Fits the Role
The Odyssey takes Damon on a ten-year journey from the tail end of the Trojan War and Troy back to Ithaca, where his Queen Penelope and estranged son Telemachus wait for him. After getting on Poseidon’s bad side, he is thrown into several unforgettable events involving Zeus, Athena, Cyclops, sirens, and more.
While he fights the elements and whims of the Gods, his own men survive and time. There is also the trial of his wife, Queen Penelope, who is dealing with Odysseus being presumed dead. She and Telemachus are set upon by over a hundred suiters feeding on laws of hospitality, taking advantage of her kindness, each doing anything to be the next king.
Telemachus never gives up on a father he has never known and wishes to save his mother from an unwanted marriage as their wealth slowly bleeds away into the lust of men. He sets out to find his father, striving to live up to his father’s image.
Director, Cast, And Writer
As the director responsible for some of the most popular movies in the industry, Christopher Nolan has brought us several hits like Memento, Insomnia, the Batman Begins series, Inception, Interstellar, Tenet, and Oppenheimer. His work has earned him 233 awards, 302 nominations, and 2 Oscars.
Universal has confirmed The Odyssey with the image of Damon playing Odysseus wearing decorated cuirass armor called a polydedalos. It also offers a tentative release date of July 17, 2026. The image also shows Damon sporting a gray, gritty beard uncommon to the 54-year-old. Along with Matt, there will also be Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland. Hathaway had worked with Damon and Nolan before in Interstellar is a perfect fit.
There is little argument that Tom isn’t the flavor of the month when it comes to his popularity. It looks like The Odyssey has everything going for it. With Nolan directing and also writing Homer’s timeless classic, he’s also locked in other famous actors Jon Bernthal, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, and more, this promises to be one of the best movies ever made.
