‘The Odyssey’: Why Elon Musk called out Christopher Nolan over Lupita Nyong’o’s casting |

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but the internet’s already buzzing, and that’s not just because of the film’s huge scope or stacked cast. Instead, it’s none other than Elon Musk stirring that pot. He took aim at the choice to cast Lupita Nyong’o, and his comments set off a firestorm about Hollywood, mythology, and who gets to play legendary roles. Let’s take a look at what happened and what followed.

What did Elon Musk actually say?

Here’s the thing: after an internet user of on X (formerly, Twitter) complained that Helen of Troy should be “fair-skinned and blonde,” Musk chimed in with a single, sharp line: “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.” That one sentence exploded across social media. Some people cheered him on, but a lot more called him out.Plenty of folks pointed out that ‘The Odyssey’ is, well, a myth, not a history textbook. Homer wrote it over two thousand years ago, and even then, the descriptions were more poetic than literal. The whole idea of “accuracy” gets fuzzy when one’s talking about gods, monsters, and magical births. Moreover, some even argued that casting in epic stories like this has always been about fresh interpretation, not just copying the old texts word for word.People were quick to remind Musk (and everyone else watching) that Helen’s origin story is full of gods transforming into animals and all sorts of fantastical stuff. The ancient myths never really bothered with strict realism, so why should Hollywood?

Is Lupita Nyong’o really playing Helen of Troy?

Here’s where things get murky. There’s a buzzing rumor that claims Lupita Nyong’o is being lined up to play Helen of Troy, the original “face that launched a thousand ships.” But so far, there’s no official confirmation from Nolan or Universal. We’ve seen leaks, rumors, and wild guesses, but nobody’s nailed down officially yet, exactly which character she’s playing.And still, the Helen rumor is driving all the outrage. People keep referencing those old descriptions of Helen as blonde and fair, and that’s fueling the backlash against Nyong’o’s rumored casting.For the unversed, in the movie ‘Troy’, Helen of Troy was played by Diane Kruger — fair-skinned and blonde. Even before that, her character had been portrayed by white actresses in previous famous films. In the 1924 silent film ‘Helena’, she was played by Italian actress Edy Darclea; while in the 1956 American–French–Italian co-produced picture ‘Helen of Troy’, she was played by Rossana Podestà, another actress native to Italy.So, it’s not hard to understand where all these preconceived notions come from.

‘The Odyssey’: What’s it all about?

For the unversed, ‘The Odyssey’ is Christopher Nolan’s version of the ancient Greek story written by Homer. At its core, it’s about Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, just trying to make it home to his wife, Penelope, after the Trojan War. But getting home isn’t simple. He runs into gods, monsters, storms, shipwrecks, and nearly dies about a dozen times. Still, he keeps pushing forward, all for Penelope.The cast of the film includes Matt Damon as the protagonist, as he steps into the shoes of Odysseus. Tom Holland plays his son Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway is Penelope. Zendaya’s in there, too, along with Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and maybe Lupita Nyong’o. Nolan’s going all out. Supposedly, it’s the first big blockbuster shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Universal and Syncopy are backing it, so you know it’ll look incredible. ‘The Odyssey’ hits theaters on July 17, 2026.