Eyes of Wakanda not too long ago debuted on Disney+, that includes an surprising connection to Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming The Odyssey. The animated sequence, which explores varied Wakandan wardogs all through historical past retrieving Vibranium weapons, has been positively obtained by critics. Every episode explores a selected cut-off date, with Episode 2 notably set through the Trojan Battle. It focuses on Achilles and Memnon, who’s revealed to be Wakandan, in a brand new spin on the story of The Iliad.
Anybody who is aware of The Iliad additionally is aware of its follow-up is The Odyssey, and Odysseus is featured prominently in it. Whereas Odysseus is just in Eyes of Wakanda for a bit, his presence is definitely going to get a number of extra eyebrows raised, since one of the crucial anticipated movies subsequent 12 months is Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey, a film that followers are so enthusiastic about that the primary screening tickets offered out a 12 months upfront. It is a enjoyable hyperlink between the MCU and an upcoming Christopher Nolan movie, however it’s not the primary time such a connection has occurred.
‘Eternals’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ (And What Everybody Bought Fallacious)
In 2021, Marvel Studios launched Eternals, the bold reimagining of Jack Kirby’s cult-classic Nineteen Seventies heroes from Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao. Regardless of some very spectacular parts, Eternals sadly didn’t come collectively for Marvel Studios in the way in which that they’d hoped, as as a substitute of turning into one other Greatest Image nominee, it was the studio’s first “rotten” movie on Rotten Tomatoes and likewise one seen as one of many MCU’s first (of many) misfires. How does this relate to Christopher Nolan, although?
Effectively, one notable (and later “controversial”) scene was the Everlasting Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) crying within the rubble of Hiroshima following the deployment of the Atomic Bomb, whose creation was documented in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Whereas Eternals was filmed in 2019 and 2020, concluding nicely earlier than its 2021 launch date, its launch coincided with the time when it grew to become clear that Christopher Nolan was engaged on a movie about Robert Oppenheimer.
Now, when Eternals got here out, some followers took one explicit quote from the movie out of context. Many took the temporary a part of Phastos saying “I did this” as a sign that he made the Atomic Bomb or was a part of the Trinity take a look at group. Some posted the clip in unhealthy religion, out of context, realizing it may generate controversy, and framed it as Marvel Studios attempting to go the blame onto a queer Black character. Others felt that it could be in poor style to tie the deaths of 150,000 to a superhero film, or join one of many characters to the occasion. Nonetheless, the total quote just about debunks plenty of these criticisms. Within the movie, Phastos says, “I did this. If my expertise hadn’t helped them advance.”
It’s extremely clear that Phastos didn’t create the Atomic Bomb, however as the one that gave people expertise, these small useful instruments he gave them finally developed and morphed right into a weapon of mass destruction. It is a philosophical concept, one which exhibits how far people have come as a species, for higher and worse. Our easy instruments of survival and weaponry finally gave option to fashionable pleasures, but in addition horrible harmful capabilities. Whereas Eternals won’t be one of the best companion piece to Oppenheimer, the 2 movies do use the creation and detonation of the Atomic Bomb to immediate the viewer to query humanity’s future.
‘Eyes of Wakanda’, ‘The Odyssey’ and… ‘Spider-Man: Model New Day?’
Now, Marvel Studios has launched Eyes of Wakanda on Disney+ simply three weeks after IMAX put the primary tickets for The Odyssey up on the market a 12 months upfront. Anybody beginning Eyes of Wakanda was probably anticipating connections to the Black Panther franchise or perhaps different MCU titles. However the episode not solely centered on the Trojan Battle, but in addition featured Odysseus, simply because the character is again within the public zeitgeist and about to be performed by Matt Damon in a possible Christopher Nolan epic. The Eyes of Wakanda model of each Odysseus and the broader Iliad and Odyssey are very totally different from what Nolan will depict. Nonetheless, it’s one other attention-grabbing parallel to Nolan and Marvel Studios each being on comparable wavelengths.
But Eyes of Wakanda is not the one MCU title with some tangential connection to The Odyssey. Shortly after Eyes of Wakanda debuted, the primary official take a look at Tom Holland from the set of Spider-Man: Model New Day appeared. Spider-Man: Model New Day will star Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal, who will reprise his position as Frank Citadel / The Punisher. Each Holland and Bernthal additionally co-star in The Odyssey collectively, with the 2 being featured prominently within the movie’s teaser trailer. If that wasn’t sufficient, Spider-Man: Model New Day will open in theaters on July 31, 2026, simply two weeks after The Odyssey. Spider-Man: Model New Day was pushed again one week to keep away from competitors from The Odyssey and prone to stop star Tom Holland from having to do back-to-back promotional excursions that may have overlapped.
Despite the fact that Christopher Nolan has by no means directed a Marvel film (and he probably by no means will), it makes for a enjoyable piece of historic fiction worldbuilding to have Eternals, Oppenheimer, The Odyssey, and Eyes of Wakanda related in a roundabout way. Eyes of Wakanda is streaming on Disney+. The Odyssey releases in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Eyes of Wakanda
- Launch Date
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2025 – 2025
- Community
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Disney+
- Franchise(s)
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Marvel Cinematic Universe
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Terri Douglas
Extra Voices 1
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Michael Woodley
Extra Voices 2
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Fred Tatasciore
Extra Voices 3
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Kimberly Bailey
Extra Voices 4
