‘The Odyssey’ Locks In Its Oscar Acting Submissions: Matt Damon Leads While Zendaya and Charlize Theron Sit Out
When a film boasts one of the most decorated casts ever assembled, awards season turns into a game of math. Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ had more Oscar-caliber names than any studio could comfortably push, which made Universal’s strategy one of the most closely watched stories of the campaign so far.
The film has also given the studio plenty of leverage. It reached $1.352 billion worldwide in August, overtaking ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, and became Nolan’s biggest hit ever. By mid-September it had passed $1.677 billion and become Universal’s biggest film of all time.
Those numbers have only strengthened its awards credentials, and now the studio has finally revealed who it will actually put forward.
Universal has locked in its acting submissions. Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, leads the push in Best Actor, making him the film’s lone lead contender. Anne Hathaway (Penelope) and Samantha Morton (Circe) will compete in Best Supporting Actress.
In Best Supporting Actor, the studio is campaigning Tom Holland as Telemachus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous and John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. Behind the scenes, Nolan is also submitted for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Emma Thomas and Nolan up for Best Picture and John Papsidera for Best Casting.
The actors of ‘THE ODYSSEY’ being submitted for Oscar consideration: Matt Damon – Best Actor Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton – Best Supporting Actress Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, and John Leguizamo – Best Supporting Actor https://t.co/YZ7yFfLeOK
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 27, 2026
The more surprising news concerns who isn’t on the list. Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Elliot Page and Jon Bernthal were all left out of the acting races. That’s notable given that Zendaya, Theron and Nyong’o were all part of the film’s top-line ensemble.
The omissions don’t mean they’ll be ignored all season. Most will be included in the ensemble submissions at the Actor Awards and Critics Choice, where only nine members of the billing block are eligible for the Actor Awards’ top ensemble prize.
One of the biggest strategic calls involves Hathaway. Universal chose to keep her in supporting rather than face a tough Best Actress race against Julianne Moore in ‘The Debut’, and she immediately vaulted to the top of the Gold Derby odds. A Variety report framed it as a chance at her second Oscar.
Pairing her with Morton also opens the door to the most common double nomination in Academy history, two supporting actress nominees from the same film. If ‘The Odyssey’ lands a Best Picture nomination and Hathaway wins, Variety notes she would become the first woman to win supporting actress twice for films that were both nominated for Best Picture.
Not everyone is thrilled with the choices. Many fans cheered the decision to campaign Pattinson, who has had a busy year with four films, including ‘Primetime’, ‘The Drama’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’. Others mocked Holland’s supporting actor push as deeply unserious.
Leguizamo’s inclusion also carries a bit of a storyline. He has never been nominated for an Oscar, though he does have an Emmy, and his challenge will be to leapfrog castmates with meatier roles. Morton, meanwhile, is a two-time Oscar nominee whose Circe drew some of the film’s strongest notices.
The final trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘THE ODYSSEY’ has been released. In theaters on July 17. https://t.co/xn42TcX4aG
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 1, 2026
The campaign is aiming high. ‘The Odyssey’ has been a Best Picture frontrunner in prediction markets for months, and the film is even eyeing the record of 16 nominations set by ‘Sinners’. A big acting haul would be key to threatening that mark.
The calendar is now set. The Academy will announce nominations on January 21, 2027, with the 99th Academy Awards scheduled for March 14, 2027. Nolan, who won Best Picture for ‘Oppenheimer’, is also seen as the early favorite for Best Director.
Did Universal Make the Right Choices for The Odyssey's Oscar Campaign?
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