Jon Bernthal Shuts Down ‘The Odyssey’ Casting Critics With The Sweetest Praise For Co-Star Lupita Nyong’o

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey‘ has dominated headlines for months, between its sprawling ensemble cast, its globe-spanning production, and a marketing rollout that turned nearly every trailer drop into an event. Now that the film has finally opened in theaters, the conversation has shifted from anticipation to the performances themselves, and one co-star pairing in particular is getting a lot of attention.

Jon Bernthal and Lupita Nyong’o play Menelaus and Helen of Troy, a mythic couple whose fractured marriage sits at the center of some of the film’s most emotionally charged scenes. Both actors are Nolan first-timers, and both have spoken openly about the pressure of stepping into roles this scrutinized.

That scrutiny turned into outright backlash earlier this year when Nyong’o’s casting as Helen was first confirmed. Now, Bernthal is using his own platform to push back on that criticism, and his defense of his co-star has become the story fans are latching onto.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Bernthal addressed the wave of online commentary questioning whether Nyong’o was right for the part of the woman famously described as the most beautiful in the world. He said he had mostly avoided the discourse altogether. He explained that reacting to opinions about a movie people have not even seen felt pointless to him.

He then turned the conversation toward what actually matters to him about Nyong’o’s performance. Speaking to the same outlet, he said that beyond her striking beauty, Nyong’o has the rare ability to communicate enormous depth through the smallest gestures. He added that he could not picture anyone else in the role and felt fortunate that she was the one who got to play it.

That sentiment lines up with comments Nyong’o herself has made about the criticism surrounding her casting. In an interview with Elle, she said she supports Nolan’s vision for the story and the diversity reflected in his cast, and made clear she has no interest in spending her energy defending the choice, since the criticism will exist whether she responds or not.

Nolan has also weighed in on why he wanted Nyong’o specifically. He told the same publication that her strength and poise were essential to the character, and praised the discipline it takes to project that composure while still letting the emotion underneath show through.

Beyond the casting debate, Bernthal has also spoken about the creative partnership he built with Nyong’o on set. He described wanting to dig into the quiet, festering damage of Menelaus and Helen’s marriage, using the couple’s mythic scale to say something recognizable about the messiness of real relationships.

The pairing is just one piece of a massive ensemble that includes Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Benny Safdie, among others. With the film already drawing strong reviews and packed IMAX screenings since its release, Bernthal and Nyong’o’s dynamic looks like it will be one of the more talked about threads as awards season conversations start to ramp up.

For now, the loudest online critics have gone quiet, and the actors who actually made ‘The Odyssey’ seem far more interested in celebrating each other’s work than engaging with backlash aimed at a film most people had not yet seen.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!