Alec Baldwin has jumped into the growing online debate surrounding Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey. The actor publicly defended Lupita Nyong’o after Elon Musk criticized her casting as Helen of Troy, a role long associated with legendary beauty. The exchange quickly fueled another wave of arguments online over casting choices in major Hollywood films.
Alec Baldwin slams Elon Musk over The Odyssey casting criticism
Alec Baldwin directly called out Elon Musk on Instagram after the tech billionaire supported criticism aimed at Lupita Nyong’o. Baldwin shared a photo of the Oscar-winning actress and wrote, “Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world… Alec.” His post came after conservative commentator Matt Walsh criticized the casting of Nyong’o in The Odyssey.
Walsh argued on X (formerly Twitter) that nobody believes Nyong’o fits the image of “the most beautiful woman in the world,” referring to Helen of Troy, whose beauty sparked the Trojan War in Greek mythology. He also accused Christopher Nolan of avoiding backlash by not casting a white actress in the role.
Musk later backed the comments with a one-word reply: “True.” When another user accused Nolan of “race swapping white characters,” Musk responded by saying the director “wants the awards” and had “lost his integrity.”
The controversy expanded further after Musk reacted to false rumors involving Elliot Page. The billionaire became angry over claims that Page would play Achilles in the film, calling the idea “one of the dumbest and twisted things I’ve ever heard.” Later reports clarified that Page is actually playing Elpenor, not Achilles. Musk then reposted another post saying, “I’m not mocking her masculinity. I’m denying its existence.”
Nolan has also faced criticism over casting Travis Scott in the film. The director defended that choice by explaining he wanted to connect the ancient oral storytelling tradition of The Odyssey with modern rap culture. According to Nolan, the idea was meant as a creative link between spoken poetry and contemporary music performance (via Page Six).
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
