Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey Is the Original Superhero Story, Colton Ogburn Argues

The Odyssey belongs to a genre of mythical story that has been told and retold for generations, but its most modern and popular form today is the superhero blockbuster. While many point to 2008's Iron Man as the start of that era, you could argue the film that truly kickstarted the modern superhero trend, also released in 2008, was Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Nearly twenty years later, Nolan has bridged the modern superhero genre with a direct adaptation of the very story that inspired it all.

I saw The Odyssey last night with my wife, who is a huge Greek mythology fan and has read The Iliad, The Odyssey and a lot more, unlike me, who was too busy watching movies in high school instead of doing the assigned reading. I couldn't help but notice the obvious comparisons to modern superhero films, starting with the stacked ensemble cast of huge name actors who have previously played characters like Spider-Man, Batman, Catwoman, Kitty Pryde, Punisher, Mary Jane and a Wakandan warrior. But that barely scratches the surface of how The Odyssey works as Nolan's return to the superhero genre.

Odysseus's Real Superpower Is His Mind, Not His Muscle

Every superhero has a defining power and a defining purpose. Superman has his strength and nobility, Spider-Man has his agility and sense of responsibility, and Batman has his intelligence, combat skills and wealth, all fueled by grief. Odysseus is a skilled fighter and marksman, but most scholars would argue his greatest power is his mind.

Homer repeatedly shows that Odysseus wins not because he is the strongest man in the room, but because he is the smartest. He defeats enemies that should be impossible to overcome by outwitting them: escaping the cave of the Cyclops, deducing that Circe's bird is actually her sister, and placing wax in his men's ears to protect them from the sirens.

On top of that intelligence, Odysseus has the guidance and favor of the gods, specifically the goddess Athena, who guides and protects him throughout his journey.

Zendaya's Troy Character May Be Athena in Disguise

What is fun about Nolan's interpretation is that Zendaya also plays the young woman in Troy who gets decapitated, which makes you wonder if Athena is simply taking that form, appearing to Odysseus as this young woman who haunts him.

Is it possible Athena was actually there that night in human form, challenging Odysseus not to go down this path? Or is it really just all in his head, and he is being guided by his guilt over the fall of Troy and the breaking of Zeus's law?

The Odyssey's Guilt Theme Echoes Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight

That guilt mirrors Nolan's Oppenheimer and how he created a nuclear bomb for the greater good, but ultimately doomed the entire human race, which in all likelihood will destroy itself with the same weapon. It also mirrors Nolan's interpretation of Batman, who created the surveillance system in The Dark Knight that made Lucius Fox very uncomfortable: "This is too much power for one person."

Outside the Nolan bubble, there is Iron Man, Vision and the other Avengers, who blame themselves for the very existence of the threats they exist to stop: "Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe."

I heard Jon Stewart mention on his show, and my wife mentioned it too, that The Odyssey feels like a sequel to Oppenheimer, but it also kind of feels like a sequel to The Dark Knight. It almost feels like The Dark Knight, Oppenheimer and The Odyssey form a trilogy, because they all follow men trying to save the world while doing questionable, morally gray, and sometimes just morally wrong things to achieve that goal.

Odysseus's Disguise and Legendary Bow Are Classic Superhero Tropes

One defining characteristic of a superhero is that they often conceal who they really are to protect the ones they love. When Odysseus finally returns home to Ithaca, he does not announce himself. He disguises himself as a beggar, quietly gathering information, testing loyalties, and waiting for the perfect moment to reveal his true identity, all to save his home and family. That is classic superhero storytelling.

Even his signature weapon feels familiar. Captain America has his shield, Thor has Mjolnir, Wonder Woman has the lasso of truth, and Odysseus has his legendary bow, a weapon so difficult to wield that none of the suitors can even string it. Only the true hero, the one who is worthy, can use it, much like proving you are worthy to lift Thor's hammer.

Odysseus's Mission Mirrors Spider-Man's and Batman's Origins

Odysseus's mission is fundamentally super heroic. He is not seeking conquest or personal glory. He is trying to save his family, liberate his home, and restore justice to Ithaca after it has been overrun by corrupt men abusing their power.

At the same time, Odysseus carries the weight of guilt, feeling responsible for what is happening because of the part he played in the fall of Troy and the breaking of Zeus's law, which he believes started all of this. It is sometimes fun to joke that this entire story is just him getting all of his men killed, but he does carry that weight. It is similar to Spider-Man's guilt over the death of his Uncle Ben, and to Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent's grief over the deaths of their parents, or in Superman's case, his entire planet.

Greek Mythology Was the Original Shared Universe

What is even more relevant to modern superhero blockbusters is that The Odyssey exists within its own shared universe. Odysseus constantly interacts with Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, and countless other mythological figures across different stories. Long before Marvel Studios built the MCU, Greek mythology had already done it, with every myth part of one enormous interconnected world where gods and heroes cross paths and influence one another.

What are superhero comics and superhero films if not humanity's way of telling stories about the gods? Superheroes are modern mythology. Superman is often called the modern Hercules, Batman is our generation's Odysseus, and Thor was literally adapted from Thor of Norse mythology. Comic books did not invent these storytelling conventions. They have simply kept them alive.

The Odyssey Joins This Year's Wave of Superhero Films

That is why Christopher Nolan directing The Odyssey feels like such a full circle moment. Nolan redefined the modern superhero movie with The Dark Knight, and now he is adapting the very story that arguably started it all, returning to one of the earliest tales that laid the foundation for that genre to exist.

This comes as the superhero genre is entering what feels like its crescendo, with a massive crossover event like Avengers Doomsday bringing together more than 26 years of comic book movie storytelling. In a lot of ways, The Odyssey is one of many superhero films released this year, alongside Spider-Man Brand New Day, Avengers Doomsday and Supergirl. Odysseus is one of the oldest superheroes in existence, and while The Odyssey is very much its own historical epic, it also fits into that comic book movie superhero genre.

So guys, let me know, what did you think of The Odyssey?