Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is packed with heroes, gods and monsters, but there’s one character missing that plenty of people expected to see: Achilles. Ahead of the film’s release, rumours spread across the internet claiming Elliot Page had been cast as the legendary Greek warrior. Those theories turned out to be completely wrong. When the movie finally arrived, it was revealed that Page actually plays Sinon, the cunning Greek soldier who tricks the Trojans into bringing the famous wooden horse inside the city walls. Via Universal The confusion wasn’t totally random, though. Achilles is one of the most famous figures in Greek mythology and a key hero of the Trojan War, so lots of people assumed he would at least make a brief appearance in Nolan’s adaptation. Some even expected to see him during flashbacks to the war or later in Odysseus’ journey through the Underworld. In Homer’s original Odyssey, Achilles does appear, although only after his death. In Book 11, Odysseus travels to Hades and speaks to the spirits of the dead, where he comes face-to-face with the fallen warrior. Odysseus praises Achilles for being the greatest of the Greek heroes and tells him he still holds an honoured place among the dead. But Achilles responds with one of the poem’s most famous speeches, saying he hates being dead and would rather be a poor farm labourer living on Earth than rule over every soul in the Underworld. Via Universal Nolan leaves that meeting out entirely. Instead, Odysseus encounters Sinon in Hades, creating a connection back to the film’s opening Trojan Horse sequence while also keeping the story moving. Considering The Odyssey already has a huge cast of characters and storylines to juggle, it seems Achilles’ Underworld appearance was one of the sacrifices made to keep the adaptation focused. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Universal Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
