Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro has voiced a defense of the film "The Odyssey," praising it as a "masterpiece" and calling director Christopher Nolan "the best working director today." However, Shapiro also directed criticism toward transgender actor Elliot Page, describing his casting in the film as "silly and egregious."
Shapiro, co-founder of The Daily Wire, commented on the film's diverse casting choices, which have drawn ire from some conservatives. He specifically addressed the casting of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy, a decision that had been criticized by figures like Elon Musk and Matt Walsh. Shapiro countered these criticisms, questioning the notion that Helen of Troy should resemble Diane Kruger, who is German, and stating that Nyong'o is "a beautiful woman."
He further elaborated on X, arguing that many conservatives were overlooking the film's "Biblical themes" and its reinforcement of consequences for violating the "Golden Rule." Shapiro suggested the film, by encouraging a return to classical literature and emphasizing moral consequences, represented a "large-scale win for civilizational values."
Despite his overall praise for "The Odyssey," Shapiro found the casting of Page to be problematic. He described Page as "about 5'2 and 105 pounds soaking wet and has the voice of a woman," and stated that his role as Sinon "doesn't work."
The controversy surrounding "The Odyssey's" casting, which included Black actresses Zendaya and Nyong'o, rapper Travis Scott, and Page, led to accusations of the film being "woke." Some prominent conservatives, including Musk, criticized director Christopher Nolan for his casting decisions, with Musk accusing Nolan of "desecrating" the source material.
However, reports indicate that the actors who generated significant backlash have minimal screen time in the film. Zendaya appears for approximately two minutes, Travis Scott for a similar or lesser duration, and Nyong'o for about three minutes. Page's role amounts to roughly five minutes of the film's 172-minute runtime. The majority of the screen time is dedicated to lead actor Matt Damon, followed by Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway.
Social media reactions highlighted the disconnect between the conservative outcry and the limited roles of the criticized actors. Many viewers and commentators pointed out the irony of a culture war being waged over casting choices that resulted in minimal on-screen presence.
The official X account for "The Odyssey" had to restrict comments due to the volume of complaints and racist remarks targeting the diverse cast. Despite the initial backlash, the film received strong reviews, with a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, and achieved significant box office success, grossing $124.5 million domestically and $139 million internationally in its opening weekend, surpassing its $250 million budget.