# Plan to see Nolan's The Odyssey this weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 16, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722 "2026-07-16T16:25:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/121 "2026-07-27T16:32:22Z")
You’re right, I forgot that scene played when Odysseus was telling Penelope what a psychopath Agamemnon was, so it definitely was before the fully assembled fleet set off. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/122 "2026-07-27T16:41:51Z")
My wife’s biggest complaint about the movie was that not once was it mentioned that Helen and Clytemnestra hatched from an egg. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/123 "2026-07-27T16:46:11Z")
Saving that for the prequel ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/124 "2026-07-27T17:04:03Z")
I think my favorite Nolan interpretation of the source was on Circe’s island - the crew forcing the food down their throats and Circe used her hands to forcefully shape them into pigs, like she was a sculptor molding clay. Much more striking than “she gave them a potion then used her magic wand”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/125 "2026-07-27T19:10:44Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I think my favorite Nolan interpretation of the source was on Circe’s island Did they pronounce her name right? The Greeks had no soft Cs. _Κίρκη_= _Kírkē_=Keer-kee. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/126 "2026-07-27T20:15:31Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > You sure you didn’t just see “mixed race young girl” and think she looks like Zendaya? Odysseus was never there, he never saw the child. Why would she look like Zendaya? That doesn’t really make sense. I thought it was weird that the baby looked just like Zendaya, but I definitely caught it. Then later it’s “revealed” that the woman we are led to believe IS Athena is actually just Odysseus’s projection of the slain princess AS Athena. Then it would make sense to me that in his guilt, he “sees” (in his mind’s eye) every slain girl/woman as he sees Athena. Kind of like feeling super sad upon hearing of the death of a young girl, because you yourself are the father of a young girl, and you imagine your daughter in that situation. In this instance, Odysseus is “ah man, Athena is every woman. She’s our goddess and we’re doing all this bad shit to her.” I just assumed Nolan pasted Zendaya’s face on to everyone, including the baby. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/127 "2026-07-27T20:41:58Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I thought it was weird that the baby looked just like Zendaya, but I definitely caught it. Then later it’s “revealed” that the woman we are led to believe IS Athena is actually just Odysseus’s projection of the slain princess AS Athena. Then it would make sense to me that in his guilt, he “sees” (in his mind’s eye) every slain girl/woman as he sees Athena. But don’t we see the child _before_ he goes to Troy? When he is telling Penelope in bed why he has to follow Agamemnon to battle? I honestly think that’s a reach. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/128 "2026-07-27T20:48:43Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > But don’t we see the child _before_ he goes to Troy? When he is telling Penelope in bed why he has to follow Agamemnon to battle? I honestly think that’s a reach. I do believe we see the child twice and I don’t know who was telling the story each time. I could definitely be wrong. This is just how I interpreted things. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/129 "2026-07-27T20:53:37Z")
I’m looking forward to seeing the movie on streaming just to look for all of the Zendaya lookalikes. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/130 "2026-07-27T20:54:41Z")
I will definitely keep an eye out for it next time I see the film! ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/131 "2026-07-27T21:12:15Z")
Yes, we see her when Odysseus is telling Penelope about Agamemnon and why it’s a bad idea to disobey him, which takes 20 years in the past before any of the Greeks got to Troy. Then, Menelaus tells Telemachus the same story, but continues with Clytemnestra in hysterics when Agamemnon takes her away, followed by the story of A’s return and subsequent murder. But I still think the only Zendaya we see other than Athena/Odysseus’ visions is the one murdered in Athena’s temple in Troy, I’m not buying that all the women in Troy are also Zendaya. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/132 "2026-07-27T21:13:04Z")
I think this is when we see her, I don’t think we see the baby when Odysseus is telling Penelope. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/133 "2026-07-27T22:39:32Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I’m not buying that all the women in Troy are also Zendaya. I think the biggest argument against this is that several women are credited as “Trojan civilian.” None of the women are seen long enough to really make out their faces. Nolan would not film other actresses and then CGI Zendaya’s face, he would just film Zendaya. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/134 "2026-07-27T22:50:59Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Nolan would not film other actresses and then CGI Zendaya’s face, he would just film Zendaya. No, I’m pretty sure this is exactly what he did. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/135 "2026-07-27T22:56:52Z")
No doubt those critical of the movie not matching real events will be more circumspect about the hatching of Helen and Clymenestra. Storks are basically swans with worse PR. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2026, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/136 "2026-07-27T23:41:49Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > No doubt those critical of the movie not matching real events will be more circumspect about the hatching of Helen and Clymenestra To me it was the sign that Telemachus had gained wisdom, because it had to be incredibly difficult to not yell “your egg mate!” when Helen mentioned her twin sister. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/137 "2026-07-28T00:36:12Z")
In the absence of any corroborating evidence in the form of an interview or statement from Nolan, Zendaya, Damon, Hathaway, the producer, or someone associated with the movie, I’m pretty sure you’re wrong, and Zendaya played Athena and the woman being beheaded, and no one else, either in person or CGI. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/138 "2026-07-28T00:51:10Z")
Yeah, I can’t find anybody else making this claim. It’s the sort of thing that would prompt a ton of online dissection and discussion if true. And I sure don’t remember it this way from the movie. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/139 "2026-07-28T00:59:58Z")
Yeah. I’ve been looking around online. If all the women were Zendaya, I’d expect a lot of people to be talking about it. But, no, they’re all just discussing her as the priestess and whether or not she’s really Athena and whether Odysseus is really seeing Athena. I have my own theory I’m kinda working out in my head. The main aspect that is being overlooked is that Telemachus’s Mentor, in the poem at least, is supposed to actually be Athena. And yet he only has Athena’s eyes. There’s no reason that Athena disguised as the priestess would look like Athena, yet she looks exactly like the statue in Odysseus’s memory. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722/140 "2026-07-28T04:10:49Z")
Well judge for yourself. (Found this pic on X, no I did not take it myself.) [![](https://i.ibb.co/N23F6RfZ/cached-Image.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/N23F6RfZ/cached-Image.jpg) While I can see the resemblance, honestly she just looks like a biracial child. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plan-to-see-nolans-the-odyssey-this-weekend/1031722.md?page=8)