Lupita Nyong’o, ‘The Odyssey’ And A Race War Over Helen Of Troy

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has been cast as Helen of Troy in the upcoming blockbuster period piece, 'The Odyssey,' causing split reactions.

May 18, 2026 - 21:33

Lupita Nyong’o, ‘The Odyssey’ And A Race War Over Helen Of Troy

It’s one of the oldest and most dramatic tales in Ancient Greek mythology: poet Homer’s epic, the Odyssey. A story of love, war and the defying lengths some will go for both, we’ll soon see it adapted once again for Hollywood with the big screen release of The Odyssey, retold through the mind of Christoper Nolan.

With a $250 million budget, A-list casting and the first-ever movie shot entirely on IMAX 70 mm film cameras, many are expecting it to be a summer 2026 blockbuster. However, the important and highly-coveted casting of Helen of Troy is causing more controversy than expected due to a Black actress occupying the role.

It’s been recently revealed that Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o will play dual roles as both Helen and her sister Clytemnestra.

As you can tell by the recent back-and-forth between Elon Musk and Alec Baldwin (seen above), not everyone was thrilled by the idea of Helen being portrayed as Black given the European origins of the story itself. In the adaptations seen so far, the role of ‘The Most Beautiful Woman In The World’ went to Italian actress Rossana Podestà in 1956 (Helen of Troy), Greek actress Irene Papas in 1971 (The Trojan Women), English actress Sienna Guillory in the titular 2003 miniseries and most notably by German actress Diane Kruger in 2004 (Troy).

Lupita would not only bring some diversity to an already multicultural ensemble — Zendaya, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel and Will Yun Lee all have prominent roles as well — we also think it would show a different side to the open-ended definition of what it means to be beautiful.

We’ll see how Lupita Nyong’o fares in playing the woman at the center of the Trojan War, otherwise known as “the face that launched a thousand ships,” when The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17. We personally think her proven skills as an award-winning leading lady will lead to success, but let us know your thoughts on the rising debate.