As fans speculate about casting decisions for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated summer blockbuster, “The Odyssey,” the Academy Award-winning director is keeping details under wraps other than to say it’s going to be comparable to a Marvel franchise. Nolan appeared on Monday night’s episode of “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert to discuss some aspects of the project. He said the poet Homer, who is credited with writing “The Odyssey,” created the basis upon which all superhero films are built. “Even comic book culture, whether you’re talking about Marvel or DC or all the rest, a lot of it comes directly from the Homeric Epics,” the director said. “The thing about Homer is, nobody knows if that was a person. Homer, in a way, is the sort of George Lucas of his time.” He said later, “The thing about Homer, it is the Marvel of its day. It’s very directly this desire for us to feel or believe gods could walk amongst us, and I think the modern comic book is kind of our expression of that.” Nolan also had rave reviews for Tom Holland, who plays Odysseus’ son Telemachus, calling him an “incredible talent.”  The “Oppenheimer” director is considered one of the best in the business, but fans are skeptical of a few controversial casting options. Elliot Page, a woman who identifies as a man, is in the cast and is rumored to be playing the Olympian messenger god Hermes. That role has not been confirmed, however. Another potential casting choice causing an uproar is Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. Helen, also known as “the face that launched a thousand ships,” was traditionally blonde and considered the most beautiful woman in the world at the time. Critics are saying the decision to cast Nyong’o in that role is a mistake, but it’s only a rumor that she’ll be playing that part.  Matt Damon portrays Odysseus, King of Ithaca, while Robert Pattinson stars as Antinous. Anne Hathaway was cast as Odysseus’ wife Penelope. Nolan told the Associated Press last week that he felt a “massive amount of pressure” to adapt the story and said that he “really tried to make the best film possible.” “Anyone taking on ‘The Odyssey’ is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility,” he told the outlet. “What I learned from [making ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy] is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation. They want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it.” The saga hits theaters on July 17, 2026.