Even though its release is still over a year away, there’s no doubt in my mind that Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will be one of the best movies of 2026. This is a sentiment that is held by most people, especially since Oppenheimer, Nolan’s last movie, garnered incredible reviews and even won Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards. In addition to Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan’s best movies include The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. The Odyssey may actually end up being somewhat similar to Interstellar, since it will be about a man trying to get home to his family.

While he has made science fiction films, war movies, and even tackled the superhero genre, The Odyssey will be Nolan’s first fantasy film. In the past, Nolan has done everything he can to avoid using CGI. However, since The Odyssey, which is based on Homer’s epic poem, includes a lot of monsters and mythical creatures, this may not be possible. Because of this, I’m very curious to see how Nolan adapts certain scenes from the poem. Therefore, here are the eight moments I can’t wait to see in The Odyssey:

8

Odysseus’ Fight Against The Cyclops

Odysseus Will Outsmart Polyphemus In The Odyssey

In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his crew arrive on an island and explore a cave. However, they get trapped in the cave by the Cyclops Polyphemus. The Cyclops keeps them as his prisoners and even eats some of the members of Odysseus’ crew. To escape, Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk and then sharpens a wooden stake, heats it with fire, and drives it through the Cyclops’ eye. In pain and panic, Polyphemus removes the boulder from the cave’s entrance and Odysseus and his crew can escape.

It should be interesting to see what Polyphemus looks like in Nolan’s adaptation of the epic poem. Since Nolan has tried to shoot almost everything in-camera in his past movies, he may have to get very creative to depict a Cyclops. Therefore, fans will be eagerly awaiting this scene in The Odyssey, especially since it is arguably the most well-known moment in the poem.

7

Cannibal Giants Eating Odysseus’ Crew

The Giants In The Odyssey Will Be Terrifying

After escaping Polyphemus, things won’t get any easier for Odysseus and his crew. In the film, they will likely arrive at the island of the Laestrygonians, who are described as giants in the poem. Upon their arrival, the giants will hurl boulders at Odysseus’ ships, sinking eleven of the twelve boats. Once they’re basically stranded on the island, the Laestrygonians will hunt down and eat several of the crew members.

Odysseus and some of his crew members will escape the island on the one remaining ship, but the heavy casualties caused by the giants will be a devastating moment in the upcoming film. Just like Polyphemus, I’m very curious to see how Nolan depicts the Laestrygonians in The Odyssey. Odysseus and his crew escaping the giants could arguably be one of the scariest scenes in the movie, which will allow Nolan to explore his abilities as a horror director, which is another genre he has never fully tackled before.

6

Circe Turning Odysseus’ Crew Into Pigs

Circe Will Turn From An Enemy To A Friend In The Odyssey

In The Odyssey, many of the gods will try to sabotage Odysseus and his crew while they are on their journey home. After arriving on the island of Aeaea, which is where the palace of Circe resides, she will drug their food and wine to turn many of the crew members into pigs. Thankfully, Odysseus will be warned about this before he dines with Circe. In the poem, Odysseus uses the herb Moly to ensure he is immune to Circe’s poison and forces the goddess to reverse her spell.

This will be one of the first times Odysseus manages to outsmart a god in The Odyssey. After challenging Circe, she doesn’t hesitate to reverse the spell and allows Odysseus and his men to enjoy a year of luxury on her island. In the upcoming movie, it should be interesting to see if Nolan explores Circe’s motivation for turning Odysseus’ men into pigs. It’s possible that the goddess will simply want to have some fun at the expense of the mortal men, but there’s also a chance that certain crew members were treating her poorly, which may explain her actions.

5

Odysseus Summoning Ghosts In Hades

Odysseus Will Travel To The Underworld In The Odyssey

While on Aeaea, Circe instructs Odysseus to travel to the underworld and perform a ritual to speak with the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Therefore, after leaving Aeaea, Odysseus and his crew arrive at the gates of Hades and make a sacrifice to summon the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. During this scene, Odysseus may speak with a former member of his crew, the prophet Tiresias, and even his own mother. Since he will likely reflect on his past in this scene, this could end up being one of the most emotional moments in Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Hades is a prominent realm in Greek mythology, so it should be interesting to see how Nolan depicts it in the movie. While Odysseus himself will likely remain brave during his conversations with the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ during this scene, several of his crew members may be terrified. In addition to potentially being quite creepy, I’m curious to see what the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ say about Odysseus and his long journey home, since his actions have led to the deaths of many, many people. Therefore, this scene could question Odysseus’ morals and frame him as a very complex character, rather than a traditional hero.

4

Odysseus Encountering Scylla & Charybdis

The Odyssey May Feature Two Terrifying Monsters

After leaving Hades, Odysseus will have to choose to face one of two monsters. While sailing up a narrow straight, Odysseus will have to decide between sailing closer to Scylla, a six-headed monster who eats sailors, or Charybdis, a huge whirlpool which can swallow up entire ships. Between these two options, Odysseus decides that sailing closer to Scylla and sacrificing only six men instead of risking everyone’s lives is a better option.

Since Nolan has never directed a fantasy film before, I can’t wait to see how he depicts a giant monster like Scylla. Even moreso than Polyphemus or the Laestrygonians, Nolan may have to rely on a lot of CGI to depict Scylla. Additionally, I’m excited to see Odysseus make this choice in The Odyssey since he knows facing either monster will result in significant losses. Therefore, this moment will once again show how Odysseus is a very complex character who is forced to deal with the consequences of his decisions while on his journey home.

3

Odysseus Listening To The Song Of The Sirens

Odysseus’ Journey Home Will Not Be Further Sabotaged By The Sirens

The Odyssey will also likely dive further into mythical elements by including the Sirens, which are half-woman, half-bird creatures. After sailing far away from Scylla, Odysseus and his men will approach the island of the Sirens. The Sirens are known to be evil beings who lure sailors to their island with their beautiful song, so Odysseus has the members of his crew plug their ears with beeswax. However, since he is curious to hear what their song sounds like, Odysseus orders his crew to tie him to the mast of the ship with his ears unplugged.

Since he is tied to the mast of the ship but powerless to do anything, Odysseus can listen to the beauty of the Sirens’ song but not be tempted by their magical abilities. The visual of Matt Damon as Odysseus tied to the ship while listening to the singing could actually end up being very funny in The Odyssey. Furthermore, I’m curious to hear what the Sirens’ song sounds like in The Odyssey. Nolan’s movies are praised for their wonderful scores, so this scene could feature an amazing piece of music.

2

Odysseus & Telemachus Fighting The Suitors

Odysseus Will Fight Alongside His Son At The End Of The Odyssey

After Odysseus’ ten-year-long journey, he finally returns home to Ithaca. However, upon his arrival, he can’t reunite with his wife just yet since he has to handle the suitors who have been vying for her hand for years. While Odysseus was gone, the suitors lived in his home, wasted his money, and even plotted to murder his son, Telemachus. Therefore, it’s a very satisfying moment when Odysseus and Telemachus team up to kill the suitors near the end of the story.

After spending the majority of the movie apart, it will be great to see Odysseus and Telemachus fight alongside each other. Since Odysseus last saw Telemachus as a boy, their reunion at the end of The Odyssey will definitely be very emotional. Since it is directed by Nolan, it may likely be somewhat similar to Cooper reuniting with a much older Murph at the end of Interstellar. Additionally, this scene will show just how skilled Odysseus and Telemachus are in combat, which will make it even more exciting.

1

Odysseus Reuniting With Penelope

True Love Will Prevail At The End Of The Odyssey

Finally, after defeating the suitors, Odysseus will be able to reunite with his wife, Penelope. Obviously, Penelope will initially be hesitant to trust Odysseus, who disguises himself as an old man after arriving in Ithaca. However, Odysseus will convince her that it truly is him. Therefore, at the end of The Odyssey, Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus will finally be together as a family again.

Since the whole movie will be building up to this moment, this will definitely be one of the most memorable scenes in The Odyssey. Penelope resisted the suitors for years, hoping that her husband would return. Just like his reunion with his son, Nolan will definitely make sure Odysseus’ reunion with Penelope is full of emotion. Therefore, this is bound to be a fantastic conclusion to the acclaimed director’s take on The Odyssey.