“Odyssey” never ceases to be discussed. In these last hours the controversy is raging on the web, criticism of Christopher Nolan for his casting, his choices and his vision is back in vogue. All this naturally without having seen the film, without having had the opportunity to understand his artistic project, in short simply “pour parler”. Or not? There are some aspects that could actually hide some critical issues.

A film pursued for more than twenty years

For twenty years Christopher Nolan had the dream of translating the deeds of the Greek hero par excellence into images. “Odyssey” is in fact only the latest transposition of the famous navigator and warrior. Between the big and small screens, there has been no shortage of masterpieces and memorable transpositions of Ulysses and his twenty years around the world.

Christopher Nolan, fresh from the success of “Oppenheimer”, has had carte blanche for a 250 million dollar project, which should, according to his intentions, bring us back into the Homeric poem as it was conceived. At least on paper. Yes, because in reality, from what we have seen so far, Nolan has taken several (and legitimate) liberties. And the casting, as has often happened for years now, has become a massive object of contention. There is no longer any need to speculate, since it has also been understood who will play who. And so, the double role of Lupita Nyong’o in the role of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra doesn’t sit well with many at the moment. The same goes for Elliot Page who will be (it seems) none other than Achilles, the greatest warrior in history and Zendaya as Athena.

However, at this point it is necessary to clarify some things, obvious but necessary every time, who knows why. The Academy has established a series of limits for years, to have greater inclusiveness and greater diversity in productions. To think that production of this type should not be taken into account in 2026 is utopian. The market has changed, the public has changed, and for those under 25 who often make the difference between success and failure, having faces like the ones mentioned above, to which to add Corey Hawkins, Jessie Garcia, Jovan Adepo, Travis Scott, is a necessity, especially as regards the Anglo-Saxon market.

Christopher Nolan knows it, he’s certainly not one to set limits like this. You may like it or not, but having the Holland/Zendaya couple is in itself a significant guarantee of that economic success which we have already understood will overwhelm everything and everyone when “Odyssey” arrives in theaters. This is not politics, this is business ladies and gentlemen. Not to mention that of course Nolan has every right to create the version he wants and how he wants. So where is the problem?

A continuous hammering that takes the joy out of enjoyment

“Odyssey” has that casting also for another reason probably: they know that this way there will be a lot of talk about it. The more we talk about it, the more attention and anticipation grows, the more this will mean tickets and media centrality. To complete the picture, only a “rival” like “Barbie” was missing for “Oppenheimer”, which in reality translated into a dyad capable of raking in the box office, an event sold as unmissable to the general public, almost as if comparing the two was necessary.

The casting done in a certain way, the viral marketing, the trailers, the “scoops” or presumed such, the hypotheses about who will do who, all this is part of a promotional machine that never stops evolving. But the price is honestly that of boring us. Christopher Nolan doesn’t really need it honestly. His name is a guarantee as that of Steven Spielberg or John Landis was in the 80s and 90s and on balance he does the same thing: he creates gigantic entertainment films with a high authorial content, personal yes, but also accessible. “Odyssey” would have been successful regardless of this media hubbub.

As for the criticisms of the casting itself, well they are legitimate as are those who don’t find it scandalous. Every director has the right to call whoever he wants, but in the same way, those who would like greater historical fidelity or to the original source may be right in seeing it as inappropriate to say they want to achieve it and then find a casting that doesn’t have much in common with the characters of Homer and Myth.

Just as whitewashing was wrong in its time (although understandable for the reality of cinema in the past) so blackwashing today is not always necessary, especially since the public has already punished Disney and other majors for this practice. But ultimately apart from “Tenet” Nolan has never really failed in his career, and he knows that he is handling something sacred for many, that he has to find the middle ground between political and artistic needs. “Odyssey” will be the cinematic event of the year, it will be something that everyone, really everyone, will see, and then divide us into two opposing armies until the next inclusive casting, the next film by the director who is the symbol of our time.