How The Odyssey Is Christopher Nolan’s Secret Return to Superhero Movies

Christopher Nolan‘s next movie is The Odyssey, a fantasy action film based on Homer’sancient Greekepic. Because of the story’s scale and stakes, The Odyssey is shaping up to be Nolan’s secret return to superhero movies.

Nolan’s experience in superhero movies dates back to the mid-2000s, with his first offering for DC, 2005’s Batman Begins. Nolan’s grittier interpretation of Batman was well received, leading to two more sequels: 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Many consider The Dark Knight the greatest and most influential superhero movie of all time. Nolan proved that he could use superheroes to tell greater stories. Despite his profound influence on the genre, Nolan has not worked on a superhero movie since 2013’s Man of Steel.

Why is The Odyssey shaping up to be a superhero movie for Christopher Nolan?

Though not explicitly a Marvel or DC movie, The Odyssey shares many similarities with superhero movies. While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nolan revealed Homer’s influence over comic books and superhero stories.

“Even comic book culture, whether you’re talking about Marvel or DC or all the rest, a lot of it comes pretty directly from the Homeric Epics,” Nolan explained. “The thing about Homer is, nobody knows if that was a person. Homer, in a way, is the sort of George Lucas of his time.”

Nolan added, “The thing about Homer, it is the Marvel of its day. It’s very direct, this desire for us to feel or believe gods could walk amongst us, and I think the modern comic book is kind of our expression of that.”

From a size and scope standpoint, The Odyssey rivals the blockbusters of Marvel and DC. With a $250 million budget, The Odyssey costs more than the majority of superhero movies. The latest trailer for the Universal movie previews epic battle scenes across land and sea. There is even an encounter with a Cyclops, which feels like a villainous creature out of a comic book.

Nolan has also recruited his version of The Avengers for the cast. Matt Damon headlines as Odysseus, the Greek king who embarks on a treacherous journey home following the Trojan War. The rest of the star-studded ensemble features Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron.

The Odyssey opens in theaters on July17,2026.