Matt Damon’s casting in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is exciting, but I will admit to wanting to see someone else in the role instead. Nolan’s first look at The Odyssey not only highlights the star-studded cast that he has put together for the film, including both Nolan film veterans like Anne Hathaway and newcomers like Tom Holland, but his clear dedication to maintaining the epic poem’s legacy. Even so, Nolan’s casting for Odysseus was a bit surprising, even after the first look revealed Damon in his classic Greek hero costume, showcasing what audiences can expect.
Though Damon’s Greek armor for The Odyssey demonstrates how the actor has transformed for the role, Damon’s past films do not initially seem to lean into Odysseus’s characterization. Damon’s repertoire includes the Jason Bourne franchise and Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which show his talents as an actor but do not necessarily fit Odysseus’s historic ruthlessness and range across his journey. Damon is still a strong choice, but I will admit to wanting another actor to take the mantle of Odysseus, who has already proven he can handle those nuances before and should have gotten the chance to again: Sean Bean.
I Kind Of Wanted To See Sean Bean Play Odysseus Again In The Odyssey
Sean Bean Played Odysseus In Troy Back In 2004
For Nolan’s The Odyssey, I was hoping that Sean Bean would end up playing Odysseus, since his previous outing as the character was so well done. Bean played Odysseus in 2004’s Troy, which showcased a stellar performance that captured the best aspects of the character by the actor within the divisive film. As Nolan’s The Odyssey is a sequel to Troy, it would make sense for Bean to reprise the role, connecting the films and letting his version of the character get more time to develop.
Bean’s Odysseus was as multilayered as the source material’s protagonist, using both his wit and will to get things done. Combining that with the gravity and stature Bean brought to other roles, like Boromir in Lord of the Rings, emphasized that wit and added a layer of camaraderie and emotion that only Bean could recapture in Nolan’s The Odyssey. Even with Bean’s legacy, though, Damon’s casting as Odysseus is still a good one, as his own staples could add something new to the iconic character.
Sean Bean Set A High Bar, But I’m Confident Matt Damon Will Be A Great Odysseus
Damon’s Ability To Switch Between Kindness And Menace Will Help Him
While Bean’s time as Odysseus created a strong standard to meet, Damon’s ability to pull off masked menace would allow him to add a twist to many of Nolan’s The Odyssey’s story beats, making him a great Odysseus in his own right. As mentioned, many of Damon’s past roles do not necessarily fit the nobility and calculating nature of Odysseus, like Bean did in Troy. However, Damon’s ability to seem harmless and yet do terrifying things fits perfectly for the latter half of the story, making him an ideal casting despite the reactions to Damon’s Odysseus costume for The Odyssey.
Adding that layer of softness to Odysseus would make Nolan’s The Odyssey all the more intriguing, as Damon’s Odysseus uses his cunning in new ways, recontextualizing the poem for a modern audience.
Damon’s role in Interstellar is a prime example of this, as his character, Dr. Mann, is driven to survive at all costs and is willing to kill to live, mirroring Odysseus in the original poem. That drive, though, could only be executed by Damon’s soft and defeated demeanor, masking that intention and allowing his plan to come to fruition in ways even Odysseus could not think of. Adding that layer of softness to Odysseus would make Nolan’s The Odyssey all the more intriguing, as Damon’s Odysseus uses his cunning in new ways, recontextualizing the poem for a modern audience.
