Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
gets a new casting announcement, confirming that an Emmy-winning MCU actor has joined the project. After achieving mᴀssive success with 2023’s critically-acclaimed Oppenheimer, Nolan, one of the most acclaimed and respected directors working in Hollywood, has set his sights on an adaptation of Homer’s iconic poem, The Odyssey. The story follows the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, as he embarks on an epic, ten-year journey home after fighting in the Trojan Wars.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅline now reports that Jon Bernthal has joined the cast of The Odyssey in an unknown role. Bernthal is best known for playing Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, in the MCU, and he recently won an Emmy for his role in The Bear. Bernthal has also appeared in projects like The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Sicario (2015), Ford v. Ferrari (2019), and We Own This City (2022).

What Jon Bernthal’s Casting Means For The Odyssey

Who Else Will Appear In Christopher Nolan’s Upcoming Epic?

Bernthal is one of a number of impressive actors who will appear as part of The Odyssey‘s cast. The film stars Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Zendaya, Robert Pattison, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o, and more casting announcements could be yet to come. The film marks reunions with Nolan for several of these stars, with Damon having appeared in both Interstellar (2014) and Oppenheier, Pattinson having starred in Tenet (2021), and Hathaway having appeared in Interstellar and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). The Odyssey will mark the first collaboration between Nolan and Bernthal.

So far, relatively little is known about Nolan’s vision for The Odyssey. The movie is confirmed to release on July 17, 2026, but it’s unclear just how close an adaptation it will be of Homer’s poem. Universal has described the movie as “a mythic action epic sH๏τ across the world using brand new Imax film technology.” Bernthal’s role may not yet be known, but the central role of Odysseus can probably be ruled out, as that seems likely to go to Damon.

Our Take On Bernthal’s The Odyssey Casting

Bernthal Is Always A Highlight

In the MCU and beyond, Bernthal has proven himself to be one of the most reliably entertaining and compelling actors working in Hollywood today. Bernthal has shown that he can do a lot with a little as a supporting actor. Even though his role as part of the cast of The Bear is small, his scenes are some of the most emotional in the show. He also plays more minor roles in Sicario and Wind River (2017), showing up briefly to deliver nuanced but powerful performances.

Bernthal has also excelled in his more leading roles, anchoring The Punisher Disney+ show and proving especially captivating in We Own This City. Regardless of how much screen time he gets in The Odyssey, then, Bernthal seems likely to leave quite a mark on the film. With filming reportedly getting underway over the next few months, more information about Nolan’s epic and Bernthal’s role in it will hopefully come to light in the near future.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline