When it comes to the portrayal of Achilles on the big screen, Brad Pitt's version of the iconic warrior in Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 movie Troy is the one that stands out the most. But director Christopher Nolan could be taking the character in a very different direction with his upcoming blockbuster The Odyssey.
Nolan's highly anticipated The Odyssey arrives this July with a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope. But several major roles remain undisclosed, among them the characters being played by Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Elliot Page.
The latest trailer did little to clarify things, but a brief, shadowy glimpse of Page has fueled a theory that the actor is playing the ghost of Achilles. The casting has not yet been confirmed by the studio, but the theory is rapidly gaining traction online, as well as a bit of pushback.
Page's character is only briefly seen in the trailer, but his appearance — hidden in darkness, his face covered in mud, standing in a dim and surreal setting many viewers believe is the Underworld — along with his single line has led to speculation. “Who’s looking after your wife and son?” Page's mysterious character asks Odysseus.
The brief, but impactful moment happens at around 1:10 in the trailer, which you can see below:
Although the line is not pulled directly from The Odyssey, the emotion behind it fits naturally within Book XI, the Nekyia, where Odysseus journeys into the land of the dead and encounters the spirits of fallen warriors.
In The Odyssey, Achilles is one of the legendary Greek heroes Odysseus meets in the Underworld. Once considered the greatest warrior of the Trojan War, Achilles had chosen a short life filled with glory over a long, peaceful one. But when Odysseus encounters him among the dead, Achilles reveals he regrets that choice, saying he would rather be alive as a servant than rule over the Underworld.
To be clear, Page's role in The Odyssey has not yet been confirmed by Nolan, who has a history of trying to keep the identity of major characters a secret in his films. We saw that with Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises. She was originally billed as Miranda Tate throughout production, though fans correctly predicted her true identity as Talia al Ghul.
While it's not been confirmed that Page is playing Achilles in the film, some viewers are already pushing back online. Detractors are pointing to Page's 5'1" stature as evidence that the casting doesn't work, with the implication that Achilles should look more like Brad Pitt's iconic portrayal in Troy.
But that criticism misses the point entirely. The ghost of Achilles is not supposed to feel intimidating or larger than life. He is supposed to feel like a faded version of the warrior who once seemed unstoppable.
If the theory ends up being true, Elliot Page’s portrayal could represent a very different take on the character, one that focuses less on the larger-than-life heroism seen in Troy and more on the emotional fallout that came after it. It would be a bold new interpretation of Achilles, and one that would fit Christopher Nolan’s tendency to approach familiar stories from unexpected angles.
We will find out whether the theory is right when The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17.