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A viral video purporting to show Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. weighing in on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has spread widely on social media amid ongoing online debate surrounding the blockbuster film.
Based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem of the same name, The Odyssey follows Odysseus (Matt Damon) on his perilous journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War, encountering mythical figures including the cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and Calypso along the way.
As Newsweek previously reported, before the film reached theaters, several prominent right-wing voices online objected to the casting of Black and transgender actors.
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“If you like The Odyssey I have news for you, and you might want to sit down for this,” the video said. “We did some research and found out that the producers marketed it towards gay men and cowards specifically."
The clip abruptly gives way to a black screen, on which appears the definition: “Unreal: lacking in reality, substance, or genuineness.”
The post, which has around 1.5 million views on X as of reporting, originated from an account that describes itself as “mostly satire.”
A Community Note under the video pointed out that “No reports of RFK Jr. criticizing Nolan's ‘The Odyssey’ exist.”
Responding to the Community Note, the account that shared the video wrote that such fact-checks on memes "ruin the joke and the reach."
Newsweek reached out to the account for comment via X.
Conservative Critics Target Film Before Debut
Even before it released, the film found itself at the center of a culture war-style backlash from conservative critics who took issue with its casting choices —particularly Lupita Nyong’o, Travis Scott and Elliot Page.
The heated backlash, which has been criticized for being racist, transphobic and misogynist, even prompted comment restrictions on posts made by The Odyssey movie’s official account.
Nolan himself has dismissed the pre-release criticism as “irrelevant.”
“Comes with the territory,” the Academy Award-winning director told The Telegraph.
“These conversations that happen before people see the film—they’re always irrelevant, because no one having them knows what the film actually is yet.”
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'The Odyssey' Enjoys Strong Early Reviews and Box Office Returns
Despite the early backlash, The Odyssey was lauded by several critics following its London premiere earlier this month.
Variety’s Jazz Tangcay called it “an astonishing achievement,” writing: A triumphant, spectacular epic. The performances from Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, John Leguizamo, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o are genuinely grand. And for some, truly, the best performances of their career!"
Collider's Steven Weintraub said the movie turned out to be "a jaw-dropping experience" for him and that he was "blown away" by the film.
The Odyssey also took home $123,502,900 from 3,919 domestic theaters during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo figures—a haul Variety noted was 2026’s third-biggest opening.
Beyond its critical and commercial success, the movie is proving popular with audiences as well, reflected in its 8.4/10 rating on IMDb and 97 percent Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Tony Phillips
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