The Odyssey is Tom Holland's bold reset — ending one era and igniting the next
Tom Holland is closing the book on his boyish era with The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic, and stepping into a more grown-up chapter—so what did he reveal about the shift?
Well, here we go: Tom Holland is officially closing the door on his 'schoolboy' phase. If you grew up watching him swing about as Spider-Man or, frankly, just bouncing around in roles too young for his actual age, prepare yourself—he says 'The Odyssey' will be his last time playing a lad.
'The Odyssey': Big Names, Bigger Expectations
Christopher Nolan is the man in the director's chair for this one, so expectations are rightfully through the roof. 'The Odyssey' drops in cinemas on 17 July 2026. Universal Pictures are throwing serious weight behind it, and with good reason: it's not every day Nolan tackles Ancient Greek myth.
Holland's been cast as Telemachus, the only son of epic hero Odysseus. In a frankly rather inspired bit of casting, Odysseus will be played by Matt Damon (because apparently Damon isn't done with mythic quests just yet).
Tom Holland’s Own Words
‘The thing that I love the most is that it feels a little bit like the last chance for me to play a boy… Maybe what you can learn from this movie about masculinity is that it comes in all shapes and sizes and no version of it’s perfect.’
For context: Holland's coming up on 30, and he's spent nearly a decade frozen in the cinematic adolescence machine. He called this film 'the beginning of a new chapter' in his life. Apparently playing Telemachus—who's basically riding shotgun on his dad's quest home—made him reflect on what actually counts for masculinity. Hard to argue with him there.
And, because no one lands a Nolan gig without sweaty palms, Holland admits it’s a big deal: working with this particular director comes with 'a lot of pressure'.
Right, Here’s Who’s Who:
- Tom Holland: Telemachus (son of Odysseus, still figuring life out)
- Matt Damon: Odysseus (hero, dad energy, probably exhausted)
- Zendaya: Athena (goddess of wisdom—also, incidentally, Holland’s wife off-screen)
- Robert Pattinson: Antinous (chief suitor to Penelope, so expect maximum smarm)
- Charlize Theron: Calypso (nymph, troublemaker, looks fantastic in flowing stuff)
- John Leguizamo: Eumaeus (Odysseus's loyal servant—you don’t get enough of these characters anymore)
- Jon Bernthal: Menelaus (King, bit grumpy, also Odysseus’s mate)
- Also featuring: Himesh Patel, Mia Goth, Travis Scott, Corey Hawkins, Samantha Morton, Jimmy Gonzales (assorted gods, mortals, and probably a few scene-stealers)
Was anyone expecting a cast list this stacked? Proper awards-bait, this. Zendaya taking on Athena gives this film a decidedly modern edge, while Robert Pattinson turning up as a suitor feels both strange and entirely inevitable in 2026.
Mark Your Calendar
'The Odyssey' lands in cinemas 17 July 2026. If Nolan’s track record means anything, expect plenty of talking points—and not just about Tom Holland finally moving on from his inner teenager.