Christopher Nolan is hard at work on The Odyssey, and his big-screen adaptation of the classic epic poem follows a surprising casting trend for the filmmaker. Featuring some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, the cast for The Odyssey has shaped up to be one of Nolan’s strongest yet, including performers like Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Holland. With an incredible scope, combined with the director’s experience in big-budget filmmaking, The Odyssey promises to be something truly special, even as it continues this disappointing trend.

There is so much pressure on Nolan’s next film. Following his incredible success with Oppenheimer, which grossed nearly $1 billion and won the Academy Award for Best Picture, The Odyssey must get so many details right. While there have been several attempts to adapt the epic poem over the years, including an excellent 1997 television adaptation, the story’s scale is difficult to adapt both concisely and comprehensively. To find success with his new film, Nolan will need to do something truly incredible.

Cillian Murphy Is Not Part Of The Odyssey’s Cast After Headlining Oppenheimer

Nolan’s Frequent Collaborator Is A Surprising Omission From The Director’s New Film

Following an unusual trend for Nolan, Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy is not a part of The Odyssey cast. With the film attaching all kinds of names from throughout Hollywood, including Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Robert Pattinson, it seems that Nolan is bringing in every big star he can find. Following an excellent working relationship that had been forged over the years, it is surprising that Murphy is not present in the film’s revealed cast, and does not appear to be a part of the film.

Murphy has new movies coming and has not taken a hiatus from performing since winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for Oppenheimer. The actor could appear in one of the 28 Years Later movies and is featured in other films that are in post-production. It does not seem that the Oscar winner is too busy to appear in The Odyssey, and his unique look and charisma would surely work in various roles for the film. Unfortunately, Murphy has not been added to the cast, and his presence in the film seems unlikely.

Cillian Murphy Hasn’t Appeared In Consecutive Christopher Nolan Movies Since The Dark Knight Rises

Murphy Has Worked Off And On With Nolan Since Batman Begins

Strangely, this continues a trend for Murphy that has occurred since The Dark Knight Rises. Notably, there was no pattern to his roles before that, as he appeared consecutively in three Nolan films: The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises. After that, however, he has continued to work with the director but has not appeared in two consecutive Nolan films. It is unclear if this is a choice or a coincidence, but it is certainly notable and might help explain his absence from The Odyssey.

Following Rises, Murphy was absent from Nolan’s next film, Interstellar. He then rejoined the director for Dunkirk before sitting out his next project, Tenet. Following this, he took the lead role in Oppenheimer, which wound up being a great move for both the director and the star. Having been relegated to supporting roles, it was exciting to see such a strong performer as Murphy shine as the lead of an important historical drama, and many hoped he would return for The Odyssey. Instead, Murphy is now in talks for a Damien Chazelle project alongside Daniel Craig.

Cillian Murphy Not Being In The Odyssey Is More Surprising After Oppenheimer’s Success

Their Last Film Made Nearly $1 Billion And Won Several Academy Awards

With all the success that Oppenheimer had, it is surprising that Murphy and Nolan have not tried to replicate some part of that by bringing the star into The Odyssey cast. The new film has incredible potential, and recreating elements of Oppenheimer‘s success could be a great way to lure in audiences for the new film. Instead, it seems that the film has decided to fill its cast with all kinds of names throughout Hollywood, building one of the most interesting projects in recent memory.

Nolan does not need to depend on star power for his films nearly as much as most other filmmakers. He is one of few filmmakers working today whose films can find success based on the strength of his name alone. While Oppenheimer was filled with great performers, it did not need an enormous star to headline it to gross nearly $1 billion. It seems likely that The Odyssey will similarly be a hit based on Nolan’s name alone; however, after Academy Award wins for both Nolan and Murphy, not including the latter in the cast is a surprising choice.

It remains to be seen how strong The Odyssey will be when it is released in 2026, but there is a lot of hype. With such a great cast and the drawing power of Nolan’s name alone, it will surely be one of the most talked-about movies of next year. Adapting such a difficult but important work of historical literature, featuring incredibly fantastical elements, the film could be a serious and exciting work of art. While it is disappointing that Murphy will not appear in it, his absence is unlikely to hurt the film’s success.