There has been a lot of speculation about who Elliot Page could be playing in Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey. The internet has been in flames over the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, but there have also been a lot of comments about Page playing the role of the Greek hero Achilles, though recent reporting suggests he is more likely playing Elpenor, the youngest crew member on Odysseus’ ship, which has not been confirmed yet by any official source.
Page’s involvement with the source material currently remains under wraps, and there are multiple characters that he could be playing in the film. Given that most of the main roles have already been revealed, it is likely that Page is going to play a relatively minor role in the film, just like Nyong’o’s dual roles as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. There are several candidates when it comes to who he could be playing, but two that we can rule out that he is definitely not.
4 Characters Elliot Page Could Be Playing
1. Hermes Is Instrumental To The Odyssey (and Odysseus’ Great-Grandfather)
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Given the youthful appearance that the younger generation of gods has, given their immortality, it would make sense to have a younger actor play the role of Hermes, just like Zendaya’s role as Athena in the film.
When Odysseus is stuck on the island of Ogygia, trapped by the goddess Calypso, who wants to keep Odysseus on the island with her as her immortal lover, Hermes is sent by Zeus, on Athena’s request, to order her to release him. Hermes is also able to aid Odysseus against the witch-titaness Circe by giving him a special root that makes him immune to Circe’s magic.
Elliot Page has the right build to essay the role of Hermes, and could have what it takes to play the character as well. The narrative presence in the story is important, and would follow the classical tradition of depicting Hermes with a youthful appearance. In many traditions. Hermes is also the father of Autolycus, whose daughter, Anticlea, is the mother of Odysseus.
2. Peisistratus Became Close Friends With Telemachus
Tom Holland’s Telemachus could be fast friends with Peisistratus || Credit: Universal Pictures
Peisistratus is an interesting character in the story of The Odyssey. The youngest son of Nestor, the wisest in the Achaean army, Peisistratus’s story mirrors that of Telemachus in many ways. Both were mere children when their fathers left for war. However, while Odysseus did not return home for twenty years, Nestor reached his in a mere three days after the Sack of Troy. Favored by the gods on his journey home for not committing any crimes after the Sack, Nestor’s son has lived through the happy ending that Telemachus yearns for.
Further, once Telemachus visits Nestor’s court, he becomes close friends with Peisistratus, even taking leave from Nestor to join the prince of Ithaca in search of Odysseus. Elliot Page could be essaying this role in The Odyssey, serving as a companion to Tom Holland’s Telemachus.
3. Tiresias Is An Important Prophet In Greek Tradition
Tiresias in a painting by Johann Heinrich Füssli || Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Sailko, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Tiresias is a prophet who has died by the time of The Odyssey. However, he appeared to Odysseus in the underworld, telling him that the only way he can get home is if his crew can stay their hand when it comes to killing Helios’ cattle, which are sacred and not to be touched.
This is a relatively minor role, and could be the character that Page essays in the story. Tiresias actually has enough material in Greek tradition to merit his own spin-off, having been part of popular Greek myths and legends like that of Oedipus Rex, The Bacchae, and the third play in Sophocles’ Theban trilogy, Antigone. Of course, Tiresias is usually depicted as old and blind, and Elliot could achieve that look with makeup. Regardless, it would be an interesting character for him to play.
4. Amphinomus Is One Of Epic’s Most Tragic Figures
While Odysseus is away from home, 108 suitors take residence in his home, feasting and drinking until Penelope chooses one of them as her new husband. The suitors are rowdy, rude towards Penelope and Telemachus, and even plot to kill the latter on multiple occasions. Amphinomus is the only suitor who stands up to defend the Prince of Ithaca and dissuades his peers from acting on their plans.
This prompts Odysseus, after his return, but before he is revealed, to persuade Amphinomus to leave, but the goddess Athena insists that he must stay, as he was part of the suitors anyway. Ironically, he was slain by Telemachus himself, the prince that he saved so many times throughout the story.
2 Characters He Definitely Isn’t Playing
1. Paris Was Already Dead When Troy Was Taken
Orlando Bloom essayed the role of Paris of Troy in 2004’s Troy || Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Audiences know that there is going to be an extended sequence in The Odyssey that is going to depict the fall of Troy. Contrary to what 2004’s Troy has injected into the popular conscience, Achilles was not present during the Sack of Troy. Paris slays Achilles, and then he himself is killed in the final year of the war. Helen is then swiftly married to another one of Priam’s children, Deiphobus, who is slain by Menelaus during the sack of Troy.
Elliot Page is likely not going to get the chance to play Paris, given that the character is likely not going to be recounted by Odysseus in his story, perhaps in passing to set the stage for his story. It is highly unlikely that the character is going to appear on screen at all.
2. Apollo Has Less Influence In the Odyssey Compared To the Iliad
Luke Evans essayed the role of Apollo in 2010’s Clash of the Titans || Credit: Legendary Pictures
Being the patron of the city of Troy, Apollo features heavily in the story of the Iliad. However, he is largely absent from The Odyssey, given that at the time in which the story was written, Apollo was still largely a plague god, as opposed to his later attestations as a sun god, which was still a domain that Helios held.
Page could play a myriad of roles in The Odyssey, but is likely not going to play a god who is absent from the narrative. While Nolan has seemingly taken a slew of liberties with the aesthetics of the story, it is unlikely that he is going to introduce characters that are not part of the story in The Odyssey, even in flashbacks.
Here is a recap of the roles:
CharacterCasting StatusRole in StoryHermesPotential RoleYouthful messenger god who aids Odysseus against Calypso and Circe.PeisistratusPotential RoleNestor’s youngest son and a close traveling companion to Telemachus.TiresiasPotential RoleDeceased blind prophet who guides Odysseus from the Underworld.AmphinomusPotential RoleThe only honorable suitor of Penelope who actively defends Telemachus.ParisRuled OutPrince of Troy who is already dead by the time the film’s narrative takes place.ApolloRuled OutPatron god of Troy who is largely absent from Homer’s original text.
The Odyssey has faced a slew of controversies that have led to a lot of conversations online about the project. Whether it be the lack of Greek talent on the project or the casting of Nyong’o in the film, multiple sections of the internet are not very sure if the film is going to be worth watching. There have also been critics who have been displeased by the aesthetic of the film, which seems very modern for the time period that the story is trying to depict.
What is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey based on?
The Odyssey is based on the ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey, which was written down by Homer, but existed in an oral tradition before.
Who does Lupita Nyong’o play in The Odyssey?
Lupita Nyong’o will be essaying two roles: Helen of Troy, the woman whose abduction prompted the Trojan War, and Helen’s sister Clytemnestra, the wife of Agamemnon.
Who plays Penelope in The Odyssey?
The role of Penelope is played by Anne Hathaway, who has collaborated with Christopher Nolan before, in films like Interstellar.
Who do you think Elliot Page is playing in The Odyssey? Let us know in the comments!
The Odyssey sails into theatres on July 17, 2026
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