The ‘analogous’ reason Christopher Nolan cast Travis Scott in The Odyssey

The ensemble of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey includes heavy hitters like Tom Holland, Matt Damon, and Zendaya, but it also features rapper Travis Scott.

Perhaps surprising to some, Nolan explained the decision in an interview with Time. Nolan explained that “oral poetry” is “analogous to rap,” and after all, that’s what The Odyssey originated as.

“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan said.

Who does Travis Scott play in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey?

As Time notes in their piece, Scott was cast as a bard in The Odyssey. While it’s probably not a major role, he is still appearing alongside other A-listers.

This isn’t his first movie role. In 2023, Scott starred in Aggro Drift, which was presented entirely in infrared photography. Aggro Drift premiered at that year’s Venice Film Festival.

Scott has dipped his toe into other media over the years. He played a major role in WWE in 2025, inserting himself into a storyline involving John Cena, Cody Rhodes, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Scott helped Cena, who had just turned heel, win a record-setting 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41 against Rhodes.

The Odyssey is Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic. Damon and Holland lead the ensemble as Odysseus and Telemachus, respectively. Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, and Benny Safdie will also star in it.

This is Nolan’s first movie since Oppenheimer in 2023. Oppenheimer was a smash hit, grossing nearly $1 billion at the box office despite opening opposite Barbie.

The movie also received 13 Oscar nominations. It also won seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. also won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

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