Actress Lupita Nyong’o launched a social meltdown without saying a word, much like the drama that unwinds in her upcoming film, “The Odyssey.” The tagline on a poster for the summer blockbuster states “Defy the Gods” — ironically, director Christopher Nolan’s vision for the Greek ep ic rebels in ways that are challenging some moviegoers’ expectations. Actress Lupita Nyong’o’s lead role in “The Odyssey” has critics in an uproar about the film’s fantasy casting. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/WireImage) An early wave of outrage over one major casting decision is once again exposing how many people still cannot see past outdated racial views — even when it comes to art. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca and the story’s titular protagonist. John Leguizamo, who portrays Odysseus’ servant Eumaeus, raved about the project. He called it a “Must see movie of the decade!” adding, “It’s so forward thinking! Innovative! Modern! Powerful! Perfect story telling!” Lupita Nyong’o Responds to a Female Fan Who Was Seemingly Disturbed Following the Actress’s Appearance In Brent Faiyaz’s New Video  ‘I Knew as Soon as It Was Over’: Lupita Nyong’o Opens Up About Becoming a Meme After Will Smith Oscars Slap and Walking Away from Role In ‘The Woman King’  Nyong’o will portray Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in Greece, whose kidnapping by the Trojans sparked the Trojan War, and Clytemnestra, her sister. Actress Diane Kruger famously played the same character before Nyong’o in the 2004 feature film, “Troy.” The role, to most fans, is befitting, considering Nyong’o was named People’s “Most Beautiful” in 2013. “Lupita is so stunning it’s only right,” said one person. Her role is vexing to those troubled by Helen being depicted as a Black woman and not a fair-skinned demigod previously portrayed by white actresses. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aura Thrill (@aurathrill) The responses have been littered with racist tones, with many noting, “The contrast is alarming.” One person scoffed, “Helen of Troy was not black. Enough with the cultural appropriation and history stealing.” Others reshared pictures of the actress sans makeup, donning a small afro, with captions like “The face that turned away 1000 ships.” “It is absolutely dissapointing casting. That’s a Greek heritage story. It’s shameful that Nolan is completely erasing Greek presence. Absolutely horrible,” noted a third person. Right-wing commentator Matt Walsh intensified the backlash on X. Lupita Nyong'o is so beautiful Despite Elon Musk publicly criticism to the director Christopher Nolan for casting Black actress as Helen of Troy in the upcoming film The Odyssey. pic.twitter.com/jwBBYkcnR2— Msageer (@Msageer_) May 17, 2026 He tweeted, “We’re told that we shouldn’t object to Helen of Troy being portrayed as a Black woman. And yet if a major Hollywood studio made a film set in Africa and cast a white woman as ‘the most beautiful woman in Africa,’ those same people would literally riot in the street. If, say, Sydney Sweeney was cast in the role, they’d be driven to murderous violence. We all know this is the case.” Elon Musk co-signed the hot take. He responded, “Absolutely true. Such hypocrisy in Hollywood.” The tech billionaire doubled down on his stance when he tweeted, “Chris Nolan desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award,” and “Who specifically is the a–hole who added DEI lies to Academy Awards eligibility instead of it just being about making the best movie?” Films must include underrepresented racial or ethnic groups in areas like casting and department leadership to be eligible for nomination. The new rule went into effect in 2024. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alec Baldwin (@alecbaldwininsta) Musk has been campaigning against Nyong’o since January. At the time, her casting was not confirmed. Musk still tweeted, “Chris Nolan has lost his integrity.” Nyong’o, Nolan, and other cast mates have not publicly addressed the outrage, but Alec Baldwin has. The actor is not affiliated with “The Odyssey” but showed his support for the actress in a post addressing Musk. Baldwin uploaded a photo of Nyong’o to Instagram with the caption, “Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec.” The restricted comments weeded out hate towards her but left plenty of room for others to drag the Tesla CEO and like-minded trolls. Thought many stuck to uplifting Lupita, as some predict this role could land her a second Oscar. “This face card and a big movie where she plays a dual role….. oh Lupita I will get you that second oscar,” wrote one supporter on X. Lupita’s first feature film earned her first Oscar award in 2013, for Best Supporting Actress in the 2013 historical drama “12 Years a Slave.” Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey” is scheduled to hit theaters in the United States on July 17. ‘Shameful’: Lupita Nyong’o Triggers Ugly Online Debates as ‘The Odyssey’ Director Faces Major Blowback Over Casting Move Fans Say Went Too Far ...read more read less