Matt Damon to Star in Christopher Nolan's Epic 'The Odyssey'

The actor's role as Odysseus may be his last major movie, he says

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Matt Damon has quietly become one of Hollywood's most reliable box office performers, thriving in both critically acclaimed movies and commercial blockbusters. After starring in supporting roles in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and Interstellar, Damon is set to take on the lead role of Odysseus in Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey, which the actor says could be his last major movie.

Why it matters

Damon's role as Odysseus in The Odyssey comes after his acclaimed performance as Lt. General Leslie Groves in Nolan's Oscar-winning Oppenheimer. Fans are eager to see Damon take on another high-profile role in a Nolan film, especially one as ambitious and epic as The Odyssey. The movie also represents a potential swan song for Damon's career as a leading man in big-budget films.

The details

Damon shared that working on The Odyssey had a "profound effect" on him and that the movie came at the "right time" in his life. He said he would have been "miserable" trying to take on the demanding role 20 years ago, but now he "deeply enjoyed every minute of it." Damon was approached for the role after his supporting turn as Lt. General Groves in Oppenheimer, and he was able to bring some of that character's authority to his portrayal of Odysseus.

  • Damon was approached for the role of Odysseus after his performance in Oppenheimer.
  • The Odyssey is slated for release in 2027.

The players

Matt Damon

An acclaimed actor who has become one of Hollywood's most reliable box office performers, starring in both critically acclaimed films and commercial blockbusters.

Christopher Nolan

The acclaimed director of films like Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight, who is helming the epic The Odyssey.

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What they’re saying

“Doing 'The Odyssey' this last year, it felt like my one chance in my life to make a David Lean movie, you know? That I was making the last big movie on film that I was ever going to get to make.”

— Matt Damon (Netflix's Skip Intro podcast)

“If I look objectively at what was required to do that job, I think it came at just the right time in my life. I think I would have been miserable 20 years ago, trying to do that job. You were uncomfortable every day. But I really enjoyed, like, deeply enjoyed every minute of it.”

— Matt Damon (Netflix's Skip Intro podcast)

What’s next

Fans eagerly await the release of The Odyssey in 2027, which could mark a potential high point and swan song for Damon's career as a leading man in big-budget films.

The takeaway

Matt Damon's role as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey represents a potential culmination of the actor's career, as he takes on a demanding lead role in a sweeping historical drama that he says could be his last major movie. Damon's commitment to the project and his belief that it came at the right time in his life suggest the film could be a defining moment for the acclaimed actor.