Ben Affleck wants to visit the set of "Odyssey": I want to see Nolan work on the spot

Christopher Nolan is one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood right now. His film Oppenheimer won seven awards during the 96th Academy Awards, becoming the biggest winner of the year. Now, he is planning to film a film version of the "origin" of all modern heroic stories, Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.

In an interview with GQ magazine, the famous American actor Ben Affleck admitted that although he had never worked with Nolan, he admired the director very much. He revealed that he might visit the set of "Odyssey": "I might go back to the set of "Odyssey" to see Matt (Damon, his good friend), but actually just to see Nolan direct. I'm not kidding at all."

He later said he considered Nolan to be "one of the greatest filmmakers of all time," alongside (Steven) Spielberg.

The reason for bringing up this topic is to compare his career with that of his good friend Matt Damon. Although the two are the best brothers in Hollywood, Damon has worked with famous directors such as Spielberg and Nolan, while Ben has not had these opportunities. He openly admitted that he also wanted to participate in "Saving Private Ryan" or play a role in the works of director Martin Scorsese.

But he also made it clear that he doesn't view filmmaking as a competition: "Some people think of it as a zero-sum game. Like, if this person gets that role, they're in my way. If I can get them out, then I either move up a spot in the queue, or I might actually get the part."

"But I think you actually create opportunities for yourself. And I'm not going to sit there and question, 'Why does Martin always go to Leon (Leonardo DiCaprio)? He should go to me.'"

Ben Affleck is actually a very successful actor, winner of multiple Oscars, and a director himself. However, Nolan has yet to work with him, but maybe he doesn't need to. It's clear that Ben Affleck enjoys movies and making movies, and sometimes as an audience, you can appreciate other people's work more wholeheartedly.

Odyssey is scheduled to be released in July 2026, while Ben Affleck's latest film is the long-awaited sequel to the 2016 action film The Accountant, which he co-starred with The Punisher actor Jon Bernthal. The film will be released on April 25, 2025.