Matt Damon Calls Nolan’s The Odyssey His Final Epic Movie Experience

Matt Damon is taking a moment to reflect on the extraordinary journey of working on Christopher Nolan ’s The Odyssey, describing it as possibly the last grand-scale film he’ll ever make. In a recent appearance on Netflix ’s Skip Intro podcast, Damon admitted he’s still processing the magnitude of the experience, having stepped into a leading role after previously supporting Nolan’s projects.

The actor, best known for his work in the Jason Bourne series, revealed that the film left a deep mark on him. He didn’t shy away from calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, saying,

Doing ‘The Odyssey’ this last year, it felt like my one chance in my life to make a David Lean movie, you know? That I was making the last big movie on film that I was ever going to get to make.

Damon explained that the timing of the project was perfect for him, noting he would have struggled with the demands of the role two decades ago. Despite the daily discomforts, he found himself truly enjoying every moment on set, sharing,

If I look objectively at what was required to do that job, I think it came at just the right time in my life. I think I would have been miserable 20 years ago, trying to do that job. You were uncomfortable every day. But I really enjoyed, like, deeply enjoyed every minute of it.

Gratitude for the Team and the Journey

After his performance as Lt. General Leslie Groves in Nolan’s Oscar- winning Oppenheimer, Damon was approached for this new challenge. He brought some of the authority from that role into his portrayal in The Odyssey. On the Skip Intro podcast, Damon expressed how grateful he felt to work with such a talented director and cast, saying the experience filled him with both joy and nostalgia for his early days in the industry. He recalled,

But to really feel gratitude — and I think because it was tied into not only the joy of being able to have a role that great with a director that great with a group of people that great and a story that great, but in that sense of nostalgia I had for how I started, how I came into the business, the feeling I had when I was shooting ‘School Ties’ and Freddie Francis was the cinematographer and I, you know, and I was like, ‘This is really happening.’

Damon also spoke about the groundbreaking technical achievement of the film, which was shot entirely with IMAX cameras. He mentioned on the New Heights podcast that Nolan was determined to shoot 100 percent in IMAX—and succeeded.

Star-Studded Cast and Unprecedented Scale

The Odyssey features a powerhouse ensemble, including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, and Will Yun Lee. Damon’s involvement was confirmed from the start, marking his third collaboration with Nolan after Interstellar and Oppenheimer. This places him among a select group of actors who have worked with the director on three or more films.

While much about the film remains under wraps, Empire Magazine revealed the main cast’s roles: Damon stars as Odysseus, Holland as Telemachus, Zendaya as Athena, Hathaway as Penelope, Pattinson as Antinous, Safdie as Agamemnon, Bernthal as Menelaus, Theron as Circe, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, and Mia Goth as Melantho. The roles for Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Ryan Hurst, and Bill Irwin are still undisclosed. The movie was filmed on location in Morocco and Sicily, with Universal Pictures backing Nolan once again after Oppenheimer’s success.

Cast Reactions and Anticipation

Tom Holland, who plays a pivotal role, called working on The Odyssey “the job of a lifetime” and “the best experience.” He shared his admiration for Damon and Hathaway, saying,

Matt Damon has always been a hero of mine, Anne Hathaway has always been a hero of mine. So to share scenes with them, to learn from them, to become friends with them, I couldn’t have asked for a better job.

With Nolan’s previous film Oppenheimer earning critical and commercial acclaim, expectations for The Odyssey are sky-high. The film is set to hit theaters on July 17, 2026.