On July 17th, we will finally get to see one of the most eagerly anticipated movies based on Greek mythology in a generation. The Odyssey will arrive with a big cast, with Matt Damon in the titular role as Odysseus, a massive budget, and a director who rarely, rarely misses, Christopher Nolan. We don’t know how it will go down with audiences, but hopes are high that Nolan will deliver yet another winner.
For those interested in the gods and heroes of Greek mythology, it will be interesting, too. Perhaps it’s best to keep in mind that Hollywood will use creative license when depicting these figures. Zendaya, who will be playing Athena, might not fit your previously held image of the Goddess of Wisdom, but she’s a talented actress and we’re sure her interpretation will be intriguing under Nolan’s assured hand.
There’s no word yet on who is playing Zeus or Hermes, or if they will actually appear as characters in the movie. Charlize Theron, we do know, will play Calypso. But all of this talk of the summer blockbuster got us thinking about the underused Greek gods and heroes in pop culture. We have made the following lists:
Overused in pop culture: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hercules, Achilles, Medusa, Odysseus, Perseus.
Underused: Hestia, Asclepius, Bellerophon, Atalanta, Psyche, Ariadne, Nemesis, Tyche, Iris, Morpheus, Hypnos, Thanatos, the Fates, the Furies, Melinoë, Hecate, Aristaeus, Triptolemus, Phaethon, and Glaucus.
The first thing that springs to mind is that, yes, the Olympians get used a lot. They are the characters who endlessly pop up in movies, and more recently, in a lot of video games and online casino games. Perhaps overused is the wrong word, as movie directors and game developers can think up new and interesting ways to explore those figures, but it’s fair to say that they can become quite caricaturised.
The second thing that jumps out is that there are so many interesting figures that could be explored. Hecate, for instance, would be an interesting subject for character development, and the tales of Morpheus would be wonderful to explore, especially as Greek dream mythology is an untapped resource that could be turned into something fascinating. There’s also Bellerophon, who has a story arc – the rise and fall of a hero – that would feel more refreshing than the retelling of the exploits of Hercules or Perseus.
We aren’t saying that Hollywood should be racing to make a movie of everyone mentioned above right now, nor is it the case that those mentioned haven’t appeared in movies and games from time to time. But it does serve as a reminder of just how much there is to discover when it comes to Greek mythology. As we said, The Odyssey could be well worth watching this summer, and the time actually feels ripe to make the movie on Homer’s epic, but there are many more tales to tell, should someone take the chance.
