As Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey approaches its theatrical release later this month, the online firestorm surrounding the film shows no signs of slowing down.
Based on Homer's ancient Greek epic of the same name, it follows Matt Damon’s Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca, on his quest to return home. Tom Holland plays Odysseus's son, Telemachus, while Jon Bernthal appears as Menelaus, the Greek king of Sparta.
Highlights
- A new photo from The Odyssey reignited backlash over the film's creative choices.
- Fans slammed the costumes and character designs as unfitting for the Bronze Age.
- Christopher Nolan defended the film's historical approach amid growing online criticism.
On July 8, a new still featuring Holland and Bernthal's characters surfaced online. It quickly spread across social media, reigniting criticism of the film's creative direction.
“Nolan’s Odyssey is somehow even worse than any of us imagined,” one X user said.
Fans lose it over a new photo from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
Image credits: Universal Pictures
Early reactions to The Odyssey emerged online on July 7, with several critics praising the period epic. The reviews stood in stark contrast to the backlash circulating online, especially over its alleged “woke” casting choices.
Despite the positive first reactions easing concerns about the film's quality, the discussion quickly shifted after a still featuring Holland and Bernthal spread widely online.
The image, showing their characters wandering through the wilderness, amassed more than 3 million views.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
However, many users argued that the image felt wildly out of place given the film’s late Bronze Age setting. Some fans criticized Bernthal's apparent bald cap, while others argued Holland looked no different from his previous roles.
“300 million dollar budget and you can see the bald cap,” one user wrote.
A second said, “God of War TV show is looking weirder day by day.”
“I think this is a flashback scene from The Bear. when they first found the restaurant,” a third person added.
The Odyssey gets trolled for its costume design despite a massive budget
Image credits: Universal Pictures
While some fans roasted the Spider-Man: Brand New Day co-stars for their appearance, several argued that the costumes felt inconsistent with the story's setting.
Users argued that the costumes looked "cheap" and resembled medieval attire rather than Bronze Age clothing.
Some compared the duo’s costumes to those of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Fans also questioned why the costume design was so lackluster despite the film’s reported $250 million budget.
Image credits: Universal Pictures
“Man, these aren't Greeks here; it's Robin Hood and his sidekick Little John in Sherwood Forest lmao,” one fan said.
Another wrote, “The costuming is so terrible, I wish people focused more on that than on black actors.”
“Completely undirected AI slop will generate better clothing designs than this,” a third stated.
Christopher Nolan defended The Odyssey’s costume design amid backlash
Image credits: Universal Pictures
The film previously came under fire after its first trailer revealed what many presumed to be the Laestrygonians, a mythological group of giants known for eating humans. However, fans complained that their armor design looked too modern for the Bronze Age.
Likewise, the suit worn by Agamemnon, the Greek king of Mycenae, played by Benny Safdie, was criticized as too fantastical. Nolan later defended the designs in an interview with Time.
Image credits: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
The filmmaker explained that the team studied fragmentary archaeological evidence from the Bronze Age but ultimately chose to base elements of the designs on “people living in Homer’s time” since “that’s the way the first audience received the story.”
Aside from the costume design, the film’s modern-sounding dialogue and the inclusion of a more diverse cast have also fueled online debate ahead of the film's release.
The Odyssey is scheduled to be released on July 17, 2026.