The polarized reactions to the first-look image of Matt Damon in costume as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey suggest that Nolan is about to be inundated with more Batman-style complaints from a fervent fan base. Two decades ago, Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise with his hugely influential Dark Knight trilogy. The response to Nolan’s Batman movies turned him from a mid-budget thriller director to a mega-budget blockbuster director. He’s one of the only filmmakers who can command a nine-figure budget for an ambitious original project.

Nolan’s latest ambitious opus is a straightforward adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. While The Odyssey has been adapted into all kinds of genres and settings over the years, Nolan is planning to translate Homer’s original text directly to the screen. Although The Odyssey won’t arrive in IMAX theaters until July 17, 2026 — over a year from now — Nolan has already revealed an image of Damon as Odysseus. The response to this image on social media suggests that Nolan is about to contend with a fan community that’s as hard-to-please as DC lovers.