Universal Pictures surprised football fans with a teaser trailer for Christopher Nolan’s new film “The Odyssey” during Sunday’s AFC Championship showdown between the Broncos and Patriots. The brief clip revealed an unexpected addition to the cast — rapper Travis Scott in what appears to be a speaking role.
While Scott’s character remains unconfirmed, his appearance marks a significant moment in Nolan’s first project since sweeping the Academy Awards with “Oppenheimer” last year — winning both Best Picture and Best Director.
This isn’t Scott’s first venture into acting.
The “Astroworld” creator previously appeared in the 2019 film “Gully,” voiced a character in a 2021 “Trolls” TV special, and played Zion in Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Drift” (2023). Scott’s connection with Nolan dates back to 2020 when he created the theme song for “Tenet” — Scott later shared a handwritten note from the director on social media.
The internet’s reaction to Scott’s casting has been swift and largely incredulous. “Am I tweaking or is Travis Scott in The Odyssey,” wrote one viral tweet. Another user posted: “I swear I just saw Travis Scott in this Odyssey commercial. This TV is dim tho.”
Others expressed similar disbelief: “Dawg… was that Travis Scott in that Odyssey trailer or I’m tripping?” One fan noted the rapper’s unpredictable career moves: “You never know what travis scott’s next move could possibly be 😭.”
did i just see travis scott in a movie trailer with tom holland pic.twitter.com/k9rsauOSJY
— reece (@wannabereece) January 25, 2026
When I saw Travis Scott in that Odyssey trailer pic.twitter.com/3xoOP8g9v7
— Herbo (@ManLikeGinola) January 25, 2026
Nolan has assembled an impressive ensemble for his adaptation of Homer’s epic. Matt Damon leads as Odysseus, with Tom Holland playing Telemachus and Zendaya portraying Athena. The star-studded cast includes Robert Pattinson (Antinous), Charlize Theron (Circe), and Anne Hathaway (Penelope).
Additional cast members feature Jon Bernthal as Menelaus, Benny Safdie as Agamemnon, Lupita Nyong’o as Clytemnestra, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, and Mia Goth as Melantho — among many others.
“The Odyssey” arrives in U.S. theaters on Friday, July 17. You can watch the official trailer below.
