Christopher Nolan says ‘The Odyssey’ begins in Ithaca and calls Homer’s epic the source of modern superhero stories

Christopher Nolan opened up about ‘The Odyssey’ during an appearance on ‘The Late Show,’ where he explained how the film approaches Homer’s ancient epic and its nonlinear structure. The director said the story begins in Ithaca, where Penelope and Telemachus wait for Odysseus long after the Trojan War. Nolan also connected Homer’s heroes to modern comic book culture, saying Greek heroes were “the original superheroes.”

Christopher Nolan explains ‘The Odyssey’ story

Speaking on ‘The Late Show,’ Nolan said Homer’s epic already uses an unusual structure. “Well, the story’s written in a nonlinear way. It’s the original kind of nonlinear narrative. You start kind of halfway through the story,” he said.

Nolan explained that the film starts in Ithaca, where Odysseus has not returned home. “We start in Ithaca. We start with the Song of Odysseus,” he said. “Everyone is sitting there going, OK, we know the Trojan War ended 10 years ago. Where is he? He hasn’t come back.”

The director then described Penelope’s position in Ithaca. “Penelope’s having to put off all these suitors who want to be the new king,” he said.

He added that Odysseus has been gone for a long time. “He left 20 years ago. And things are not altogether wonderful in his kingdom,” Nolan said.

‘The Odyssey’ cast includes Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland

Nolan confirmed Anne Hathaway plays Penelope. “So Penelope is played by Anne Hathaway, who I’ve also worked with a couple of times before,” he said.



Tom Holland plays Penelope and Odysseus’ son. “Her son is played by Tom Holland, who’s so amazing, who I’ve not worked with before, but would love to work with again,” Nolan said. “He’s just an incredible talent.”

Robert Pattinson plays the lead suitor in Ithaca. Nolan said Hathaway and Holland are “holding the fort in Ithaca, fending off the suitors, the lead suitors played by Rob Pattinson.”

Nolan also spoke about Homer’s lasting impact. “They’re the original superheroes,” he said of Greek heroes. “Even comic book culture, whether you’re talking about Marvel or DC or all the rest, a lot of it comes pretty directly from the Homeric epics.”

Nolan added that Homer remains mysterious. “Nobody really knows who this person was or whether it was more than one person,” he said. He called Homer the marvel of its day and said modern comics still carry this desire for us to feel or believe that gods could walk amongst us.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”