Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ restricts X comments amid woke casting backlash

The Odyssey premiered in London on Monday and is scheduled for release in theaters in the United States and the United Kingdom on July 17. However, users attempting to comment on the film’s official X posts now see the message: “Only some accounts can reply.”

Nolan’s adaptation has been one of the most anticipated films in recent years, featuring a star-studded cast. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, while Zendaya portrays the goddess Athena. Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and Tom Holland portrays their son Telemachus. The film also features Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Charlize Theron as Calypso, Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, and Benny Safdie as Agamemnon.

The highly anticipated film has faced backlash over what critics are calling “stunt casting”. Among the controversial casting decisions is that of trans-identified female Elliot Page, formerly Ellen Page, whose casting as the Greek soldier Sinon sparked criticism from many viewers.

Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy has been among the most debated decisions. Helen, the legendary figure whose relationship with Paris helped trigger the Trojan War, has traditionally been described in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world. Critics on social media questioned whether Nyong’o fit that description. Nyong’o will also play the role of Clytemnestra.

Matt Walsh’s criticized Nyong’o’s casting in a May X post. “Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong’o is “the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said. “But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave “the most beautiful woman” role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward. Too afraid to do anything that even slightly challenges the spirit of the age.”

Nolan has also faced backlash for his decision to cast Travis Scott in an unidentified role, explaining that the rapper’s connection to oral storytelling helped inspire the choice. “This story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan said in an interview with Time.