The Odyssey director Christopher Nolan has discussed how his work on Batman and his previous films influenced his retelling of Homer’s epic.
During a new Q&A session moderated by Robert Downey Jr., Nolan opened up about recognizing elements of his earlier work while writing The Odyssey. The Academy Award-winning director also highlighted how aspects of Oppenheimer found their way into the film’s ending.
Nolan’s latest comments came during a 70mm IMAX screening of the film at the TCL Chinese Theatre (via The Hollywood Reporter). “I was continually sort of surprised and delighted to find story parts, models, sort of primal things that had fed into all the films that I’d made,” he said, adding that much of this inspiration stems from “the enduring appeal of this poem.”
The Odyssey’s timeless themes connect with Nolan’s earlier films
Nolan’s films often explore themes of romance, homecoming, and existential dread. He revealed that Homer’s epic also influenced the writing process for Interstellar, recalling how he and his brother Jonathan drew inspiration from the poem. “Jonathan and I were kind of riffing on that,” he said.
“But I was finding The Dark Knight in there,” he added. “I was finding a lil bit of everything in there and, actually, as I wrote the end, I suddenly found a bit of Oppenheimer in there with sort of connection.”
Noland explained that the biggest influence his previous films had on The Odyssey was while he was writing its ending. “I was looking at my notebooks again the other day and somewhere I’ve scribbled down as I wrote the ending, I’m like, ‘Oh, this is all the endings of all my films kind of rolled into one,'” he concluded.
The Odyssey is Nolan’s 13th feature film as a director. While Nolan has primarily dabbled in science fiction, he turned to exploring magic and mythology in his recent feature. The Odyssey is also Nolan’s second-longest feature. Like Odysseus, Nolan’s previous protagonists embarked on journeys of self-discovery that challenged their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Like several of Nolan’s films, particularly Interstellar and Dunkirk, The Odyssey also explores non-linear storytelling and themes of longing. Its ending sees the hero confront the world-changing consequences of his actions, drawing parallels to the conclusion of Oppenheimer.
After grossing over $1.8 billion worldwide, The Odyssey is set to return to theaters as part of its awards consideration campaign. The film will receive a theatrical rerelease on December 11, 2026, following its arrival on digital and physical media on November 17, 2026.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
