Zendaya Reveals Why Athena Is Her Perfect Match in The Odyssey
In a new Elle interview, Zendaya says Athena in The Odyssey is a perfect match, with the goddess’ cool strategy and protective edge reflecting her own — and shaping how she plays her.
Right, so Zendaya is playing Athena in that upcoming big-screen take on The Odyssey, and honestly, it sounds like she’s got a fair few thoughts about why this is a pretty spot-on bit of casting. She’s not just ticking a box on her A-list role bingo; there’s a genuine connection here. So, let’s break down exactly what she’s said, who’s joining her in this all-star cast (fair warning, it’s almost absurdly stacked), and the odd ways life seems to have prepped Zendaya for ancient Greek god-status… involving root beer floats and daytime telly, apparently.
Zendaya Gets Deep About Athena (and Herself)
Zendaya sat down with Elle to chat about playing Athena—the literal goddess of wisdom, if you skipped classics at school. She reckons this role was pretty much destined for her, describing it as ‘very fitting’. And yeah, it turns out there’s more than a hint of Athena in her off the screen. Even though she’s not hit 30 yet, people have always come to her for guidance.
In her own words:
‘I don’t know what that is, I just feel like I’ve been here before.’
That whole ‘old soul’ vibe? She’s been told she has it since she was a kid, with a chunk of her childhood spent hanging out with her grandmother, watching Jerry Springer, and making root beer floats. Apparently, her ‘inner old lady’ has been alive and well since the very beginning—buses, ice creams, the works.
But, to keep things in perspective, Zendaya’s also happy to admit she’s still winging it half the time:
‘I think I do have wisdom to offer, but I also do still feel like a f***ing kid. Like what the f**k, I’m about to be 30? I still feel like a child inside.’
Who’s Actually in This Odyssey?
Let’s just say, if you thought Dune crowds its cast, wait until you get a look at the lineup for this one. Christopher Nolan’s calling the shots, and apparently, half of Hollywood picked up the phone:
- Zendaya as Athena
- Tom Holland (Zendaya’s apparently everywhere scene partner)
- Matt Damon as Odysseus himself
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope
- Robert Pattinson as Antinous
- Charlize Theron as Circe
- Lupita Nyong'o takes on Helen of Troy, and, for good measure, Clytemnestra
- Jon Bernthal as Menelaus
- Benny Safdie as Agamemnon
- Samantha Morton, Mia Goth (she’s Melantho), John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, and—yes, Travis Scott—are also along for the ride
It’s the kind of ensemble where you honestly start to wonder if we’ll spend half the film going, ‘Hang on, is that—??’
What’s Next for Zendaya?
The Odyssey is hardly the only blockbuster on Zendaya’s calendar. She’s also gearing up (again, with Tom Holland) for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, reprising her role as MJ. That one’s pencilled in for 31 July 2026. Meanwhile, The Odyssey itself is also locked for July 2026. Bit of a crowded summer for her, not that she’s likely to struggle juggling premieres at this point.
So, if you’re after an actress who can balance swinging through Manhattan with giving actual Greek god energy, seems like Zendaya’s your safest bet. And if she drops a bit of Jerry Springer wisdom along the way, well, that’s just a bonus.