The staggering cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey has been kept largely under wraps, but the movie’s first trailer may have revealed which character Jon Bernthal is playing. While movie trailers are typically released online, The Odyssey’s first trailer is viewable exclusively in theaters, attached to other Universal movies like Jurᴀssic World Rebirth.
While the list of A-listers attached to the project has grown over the last few months, only a few stars have had their characters revealed. So far, only Matt Damon (Odysseus), Tom Holland (Telemachus, Odysseus’ son), and Charlize Theron (Circe, the goddess of sorcery) have been directly attached to any major roles.
The movie’s first teaser provides very little in the way of plot clues or set pieces, and instead focuses on a conversation between Jon Bernthal’s character and Tom Holland’s Telemachus. It features Telemachus seeking information about his long-missing father’s whereabouts, while Jon Bernthal’s character scoffs that only rumors exist.
However, Bernthal’s brief monologue concerning Odysseus’ whereabouts, along with the greater context of his conversation with Telemachus, point to a very specific idenтιтy for his character.
Jon Bernthal Appears To Be Playing Nestor, The King Of Pylos
The Wise King Fought Alongside Odysseus In The Trojan War
In Homer’s Odyssey, Nestor is one of the former commanders of the collective Greek army that attacked Troy during the events of the lIiad. He is regarded as a wise king, and advises characters (to varying effect) during both epic poems. In the context of the Odyssey, Nestor is one of the key characters in the journey of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son.
Nestor, the king of Pylos, is the first king and former ally of Odysseus that Telemachus visits seeking information about his missing father. He relays the story of Agamemnon to Telemachus, who was killed by his wife and her lover, which sets Telemachus on his path during the movie.
Nestor’s relaying of the cautionary tale of Agamemnon, and more importantly his son, Orestes, spurs Telemachus to action. The story parallels Telemachus’ own situation, and encourages him to seek out and bring his father home, and to get rid of his mother’s suitors.
How The Odyssey’s Trailer Points To Jon Bernthal Playing Nestor
Context Clues Align With Nestor’s Literary Counterpart
The brief trailer for The Odyssey playing in theaters appears to feature a key part of Nestor’s conversation with Telemachus after he invites him to his court. In the poem, Nestor has no idea what happened to Odysseus after the Trojan War, despite serving with him during the conflict.
Bernthal’s character says outright that, “I know nothing of Odysseus, not since Troy.” In the trailer, that line is delivered just after Telemachus inquires about what happened to his father. It’s a simple line, but proves that, like Nestor, this character is unaware of Odysseus’ whereabouts, but he did in fact serve with him in Troy.
It seems like Nolan shaped the character of Nestor around the actor embodying him, as opposed to making Bernthal fit the original depiction of the poem.
The scene with Nestor also comes very early in the Odyssey, as Telemachus’ visit to Nestor is the first stop on his journey to find his father. It makes sense that the first footage we get from The Odyssey would come from earlier on in the movie so as not to reveal anything about what comes later.
Bernthal’s character is presented a bit differently than Nestor is in the poem, but not in any significant enough way to make one believe it’s a different character. It seems like Nolan shaped the character of Nestor around the actor embodying him, as opposed to making Bernthal fit the original depiction of the poem.
Could Jon Bernthal Also Be Menelaus Or Antinous?
It Seems Unlikely Based On How He’s Presented In The Trailer
In Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachus’ next stop is a visit with Menelaus, the king of Sparta, and his wife Helen of Troy, the woman whose presumed kidnap kicked off the events of the Trojan War (the two have since reconciled). There has been speculation that Bernthal’s character could be Menelaus as opposed to Nestor, and the conversation the two have certainly could still fit.
In fact, it’s entirely possible that, for the purposes of streamlining the sprawling plot of The Odyssey, Nolan combined the characters of Menelaus and Nestor to give Telemachus one stop for information instead of two. In that way, the character could still represent Nestor in spirit, if not in name.
However, Nestor still seems more likely considering that, in the poem, Menelaus did in fact have information about Odysseus. He relayed to Telemachus that the sea god Proteus told him that Odysseus was a captive of the nymph Calypso, who imprisoned Odysseus for seven years in the poem.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has a release date of July 17th, 2026, and a projected budget estimate of $250 million, which demonstrates the sheer scope of the undertaking.
There has also been speculation that Bernthal could be playing Antinous, one of the most prominent suitors for Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. However, Antinous is described as arrogant and violent, and plots to murder Telemachus to ease his path to Penelope’s hand in marriage.
The context of the trailer simply doesn’t fit for Bernthal to be playing Antinous, as Antinous never served with Odysseus, and he certainly wasn’t someone Telemachus sought information from. Based on what the trailer for The Odyssey reveals, it seems almost obvious that Jon Bernthal is in fact playing Nestor, the King of Pylos.
