Matt Damon Looks Unrecognisable With Rugged Beard As He Joins Zendaya For Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

Set pics from Nolan’s epic adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey surface online — with Matt Damon in a dramatic transformation and Zendaya sparking speculation about her mythical role.

March 30, 2025: Christopher Nolan is officially back behind the camera — this time for his ambitious adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Set photos from the film’s shoot in Italy have gone viral online, revealing a dramatically transformed Matt Damon as Odysseus and the first glimpse of Zendaya, who is rumoured to be playing the nymph Calypso.

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🧔 Matt Damon’s Shocking New Look

In the most talked-about image, Damon is barely recognisable — shirtless, sporting a toned frame, a scruffy white beard, and cropped hair. Dressed in only baggy linen pants, Damon embodies the weariness and grit of Odysseus, the war-hardened King of Ithaca navigating his way home post-Trojan War.

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He’s also seen chatting with Nolan between takes — adding to the buzz that this could be Nolan’s most visually grounded epic yet, with zero CGI and all real-location filming.

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🌊 Zendaya As Calypso?

Another photo shows Zendaya sitting beside Damon on the beach, surrounded by cameras and crew. While her character hasn’t been officially announced, many are speculating she’s playing Calypso, the goddess who holds Odysseus captive on her island.

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Zendaya, with her poised elegance, is no stranger to fantasy — and fans are already hyped about her potential as a divine enchantress in Nolan’s mythological world.

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🎥 What We Know So Far About The Odyssey

• Director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, Inception)
• Cast: Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Elliot Page
• Release Date: July 17, 2026
• Plot: Based on Homer’s The Odyssey, the film follows Odysseus’s treacherous journey home after the fall of Troy, facing monsters, gods, and temptation.

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🤯 Fans React to Nolan’s Practical Filmmaking

On X (formerly Twitter), fans have praised Nolan for eschewing CGI in favour of real landscapes and physical effects, calling it “unheard of in today’s blockbuster era.” One user wrote,

“Imagine seeing Odysseus’ journey through Nolan’s lens… real water, real islands, real tension. I’m so in.”

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With epic scale, a dream cast, and Nolan’s trademark realism, The Odyssey is shaping up to be 2026’s most anticipated cinematic event.

🧵 Tags: Matt Damon, Zendaya, The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan, Nolan new movie, Matt Damon Odysseus, Zendaya Calypso, The Odyssey set pics, Hollywood 2025, The Odyssey release date