The hits just keep coming. Every time we get another glimpse at “The Odyssey,” or Christopher Nolan gives a new interview, movie fans find something else to nitpick. At this point, it’s hard to tell what’s sparked the biggest backlash: the American accents, the “Daddy” dialogue, the overly ornate armor, Lupita Nyong’o as Helen, or Elliot Page’s casting?
We already know the star-studded A-list ensemble that Christopher Nolan assembled for “The Odyssey,” but one name that had yet to be mentioned was suddenly revealed in a 30-second TV spot back in December: Travis Scott.
Yes, the rapper. Reactions to Scott’s involvement in the film have been mixed. His brief line delivery in the teaser was criticized by some, but quite honestly, I doubt he’s playing a significant role.
Nolan is now telling Time Magazine that he cast Scott as a bard in “The Odyssey,” and that the choice was very intentional because he sees a connection between ancient oral storytelling and modern rap music. Nolan said he wanted to “nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap.”
What Nolan seems to mean is that both “The Odyssey” and rap music rely on rhythm, memorization, performance, and spoken-word tradition to pass stories from one generation to another. However, many people find the explanation odd because it feels academically stretched and overly self-serious—especially since Scott is primarily known for modern trap music rather than narrative lyricism.
Regardless, Scott and Nolan actually have a history. The rapper’s song “The Plan” served as the theme track for Nolan’s “Tenet.” “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle,” Nolan told GQ about the song. This also isn’t Scott’s first rodeo in cinema—a few years ago, he starred in Harmony Korine’s experimental, infrared-shot film “Aggro Dr1ft.”
Scott is part of a large cast for “The Odyssey,” which includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Mia Goth, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Bill Irwin, and Himesh Patel.
“The Odyssey” hits theaters on July 17, 2026.