‘The Odyssey’ Actors Who Are Also Swinging Into ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
Christopher Nolan’s star-studded retelling of Homer’s epic and Marvel’s next Spider-Man outing might seem like they exist in completely different universes, but it turns out they share more than a few familiar faces. A handful of performers from ‘The Odyssey‘ are also suiting up, literally and figuratively, for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ and the overlap has fans doing a double take.
Tom Holland stars alongside fellow ‘The Odyssey’ cast members Zendaya and Jon Bernthal in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ With both projects landing in theaters within weeks of each other this summer, the crossover in casting has become one of the more fun little coincidences of the 2026 movie season.
Tom Holland – Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Telemachus
Tom Holland leads both films in very different ways. In ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ he stars as Peter Parker and Spider-Man, marking his return to the role that made him a household name.
In Nolan’s epic, Holland trades the web shooters for a sword. He plays Telemachus, the son Odysseus barely knew before leaving for Troy. Now almost of age, Telemachus is torn between believing his mother Penelope that his father is still alive and coming home, or listening to travelers who insist there has been no news of Odysseus.
The timing is notable too. Holland was filming ‘The Odyssey’ in Europe for director Christopher Nolan around the same time Brand New Day was being revealed at CinemaCon. Back on the Marvel side, this is Holland’s fourth solo outing as Peter Parker, following ‘Homecoming,’ ‘Far From Home,’ and ‘No Way Home.’
Fans have had a field day pointing out that Holland is essentially playing two different kinds of ‘kid trying to live up to a legendary parent’ this year, one in tights and one in a tunic. It is the kind of casting symmetry that makes for great trivia night material.
Zendaya – Michelle Jones and Athena
Zendaya’s dual role this summer could not be more different tonally. In ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ she returns as Michelle Jones, better known as MJ.
In ‘The Odyssey,’ she ascends to full goddess status. Zendaya plays Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war who appears to Odysseus throughout his journey home. She is one of the top billed stars alongside Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Robert Pattinson as the suitor Antinous.
Going from MJ’s grounded, sharp-witted energy to an all powerful Greek deity is a serious range flex, and it has not gone unnoticed by fans online. Between the two roles, Zendaya is having one of the more eclectic double feature summers of any actor working right now.
Her presence in both ensembles also reinforces just how tightly the modern blockbuster world is interconnected, with A-list stars frequently bouncing between franchise tentpoles and prestige epics in the same calendar year.
Jon Bernthal – Frank Castle/Punisher and Menelaus
Jon Bernthal rounds out the trio of shared cast members, and his ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ role has generated plenty of buzz on its own. He plays Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher, in the film. His inclusion brings a darker, street level edge to the movie, drawing on the character’s fan favorite run from the Netflix Marvel series.
In ‘The Odyssey,’ Bernthal steps into ancient Greece as royalty. He makes his Nolan directorial debut as Menelaus, the King of Sparta, who fought alongside Odysseus in the Trojan War. He appears in the film’s credited cast list alongside Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and the rest of the ensemble.
Bernthal going from a gun toting vigilante in modern day New York to a Spartan king in the Bronze Age is exactly the kind of range shift that keeps his fans invested in whatever he does next. It also underscores just how busy his 2026 slate has become.
What This Crossover Means for Fans
The shared cast members have sparked plenty of lighthearted commentary across social media, with fans joking about an unofficial ‘Odyssey’ reunion happening inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is a reminder of just how small the upper tier of working actors in Hollywood really is.
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Greek epic follows Odysseus and his soldiers on a long, treacherous journey home after the Trojan War, plagued by memories of the war and visions of the goddess Athena. Meanwhile, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ follows Peter Parker four years after a memory altering spell erased him from the world’s memory, rebuilding his life, his tech, and his suit from nothing.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ opens in theaters on July 31, 2026, while ‘The Odyssey’ premiered in London on July 6 with a United States release set for July 17. With both films hitting screens practically back to back, audiences will get to see this trio of actors in wildly different worlds within the same summer.
Which of these dual performances are you more excited to see, Holland’s journey from forgotten hero to reluctant Spartan prince, Zendaya’s leap from MJ to full blown goddess, or Bernthal’s swing from the Punisher’s brutal streets to the battlefields of ancient Greece?
