Matt Damon Says ‘The Odyssey’ Might Be His Final Big-Screen Role

Matt Damon has spent decades moving between prestige dramas and global blockbusters, but he now sounds unusually reflective about the future. While discussing his work with Christopher Nolan, the actor suggested one recent project may stand out as a career marker, not just another credit.

Matt Damon shared a deep and extremely candid thought while guesting on Netflix’s “Skip Intro” podcast with host Krista Smith. He reflected on how filmmaking has changed and why director Christopher Nolan’s approach felt increasingly rare.

On this note, Damon admitted that Nolan’s upcoming film “The Odyssey” may end up being the last major “big movie on film” he gets to make.

“Doing ‘The Odyssey’ this last year, it felt like my one chance in my life to make a David Lean movie, you know?” Damon said. “That I was making the last big movie on film that I was ever going to get to make.”

Why “The Odyssey” Felt Different

Damon described the experience as something he is still processing, saying the film had a different effect on him and that even after wrapping filming, he is “still kind of unpacking” what it meant personally and professionally.

His comments were not framed as a retirement announcement. Instead, they pointed to a shift in the industry. Large-scale productions today often rely heavily on digital workflows, including digital capture and post-production pipelines.

Nolan, by contrast, is known for championing film, and Damon implied that kind of project is becoming rarer with each year.

Nolan’s Film-First Approach and a Technical Milestone

Damon also highlighted Nolan’s commitment to shooting on film, noting that the director famously shot the blockbuster epic using exclusively Imax film cameras, described as an industry first.

The film was also made with what Damon called “brand new Imax film technology,” underscoring why the production felt like a singular opportunity.

For Damon, that technical choice seemed tied to a larger artistic idea. He compared the experience to making a David Lean-style epic, referencing the kind of sweeping, classical filmmaking associated with grand scale and meticulous craft.

Timing Matters, Damon Says

Damon also suggested the timing of the project changed how he handled it. He said he is grateful the experience arrived at this stage of life, adding that if it had happened 20 years earlier he would have been miserable doing the job.

That comment hints at the pressure of a demanding production, as well as the emotional weight of realizing you may not get another chance to work on a film like it.

Cast and Story Details

In “The Odyssey,” Damon stars as the Greek hero Odysseus in Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient poem. The cast includes several actors who have worked with Nolan before, such as Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, Bill Irwin, and Himesh Patel.

The film also features Nolan's younger team of talents like Zendaya, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, John Leguizamo, Corey Hawkins, and Will Yun Lee.

Matt Damon’s comments about “The Odyssey” read less like nostalgia and more like a candid observation about where filmmaking is headed.

Whether or not it becomes his final experience on a massive film-shot epic, Damon made it clear the project felt unique: a rare meeting of old-school scale, new technology, and a director determined to keep film at the center of the process.

“The Odyssey” is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 17, 2026.