When the news broke that Christopher Nolan’s next movie would be an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, I was ecstatic. I did feel a bit sorry for the cast and creators of The Return, another movie released in the past six months that adapted The Odyssey, as that movie did not receive the attention it deserved and now will forever be overshadowed by Christopher Nolan’s project.
Attached to the project, so far, are Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron. All of them are phenomenal actors. Unless Nolan is gender swapping the role of Odysseus, one, maybe two of them seem like they would be ripe for the role.
It's being reported that Tom Holland will play the lead of the movie. If that is Odysseus, it is the wrong choice. While Tom Holland is a great actor, he should not portray the Greek hero.
If Christopher Nolan's adaptation stays true to the poem, possible spoilers below.
If you’ve never read The Odyssey, the story revolves around Odysseus, the legendary fictional Greek warrior, and his journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Most scholars accept that the story is fictional, although there is a small amount of evidence to show that the city of Troy was real. Odysseus is the soldier who came up with the idea for the famous Trojan Horse, a huge, hollow, wooden horse given to the city of Troy as a gift that was truly a way to smuggle soldiers inside the city. This allows the Greeks to infiltrate the city and win the war. The Odyssey takes place after all of this.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ age is not specified. However, the Trojan War lasted ten years and it takes nineteen years for Odysseus to return home. Feel free to check my math, but that's twenty nine years total. Tom Holland is currently 28.
When Odysseus sails for Troy, he is already the well beloved king of the city state of Ithaca in Greece. Again, his age is not specified, but it's widely accepted that he was in his early or mid thirties. Odysseus inherited his kingdom from his father and for him to hold an entire kingdom and a very high position in the Greek military, it would make sense for him to be this age. By the time the Trojan War ends, he is in his early to mid forties. When he finally makes it home, he is likely in his sixties.
On top of his age, Odysseus is described as a very large, muscular, intimidating man. Below, you'll find the cover of The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff, which is a shortened retelling of the Odyssey, on which Odysseus is front and center.
There's a reason Tom Holland is cast as a teenager or a very young man in nearly everything he stars in: he looks very young. In no way does he resemble Odysseus. Yes, actors do not always need to resemble the impossible physique of the character they are portraying, but, in this case, it does directly affect the plot of the story. There are several parts of The Odyssey that could not be portrayed accurately if Odysseus does not have the strength of a very large person. One of the best scenes in the poem revolves around Odysseus creating a dramatic challenge to prove to his wife that he is truly him and ward off the one hundred nine suitors attempting to marry her. It requires someone to string his old bow, which is a huge hunting bow, then fire it accurately through multiple targets. The suitors all fail at this because they are simply not strong enough. Odysseus does it with perfect ease.
Of course, there are ways around this. Some scenes could simply be excluded from the story, but I'm a believer in staying mostly true to source material.
If Holland truly is playing Odysseus, maybe he's only playing a younger version of him. He could play Odysseus in flashbacks or Odysseus on the way to Troy. However, I think that would be a misuse of his acting capabilities. Holland is much better suited for the role of Telemachus, Odysseus’ son.
When Odysseus sails for Troy, Telemachus is either a toddler or a baby. By the time Odysseus returns home, he is about twenty nine, the exact age Holland will be when the movie releases. Holland is quite literally perfect for this role. Telemachus is not just a side character. There is a detailed plot line about Telemachus feeling turmoil over the disappearance of his father and the men trying to take the throne that is rightfully his. In fact, Holland being “the lead” of the movie could potentially work if the entire story is told from the viewpoint of Telemachus. This would make for a fantastic story many fans of The Odyssey would love to see.
If Holland has been cast as Odysseus, this would be a mistake especially as Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson are attached to the film. That isn’t to say they are necessarily perfect choices, but they are better choices at least. However, Holland would make for a perfect Telemachus to explore one of the best side plots of The Odyssey or tell the entire story from that character’s point of view.
Let me know what you think in the comments!