Fact Check: Is Robert Downey Jr appearing as Achilles in Nolan's next film 'The Iliad'?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Following the massive success of the epic film ‘The Odyssey,’ a rumor is gaining traction on social media platforms claiming that Robert Downey Jr is appearing as Achilles in Christopher Nolan’s purported next film ‘The Iliad.’ The claim has sparked both excitement and questions from online users, with many calling for a fact-check.

Claim: Robert Downey Jr appearing as Achilles in Christopher Nolan’s next

According to the viral claim, Nolan will cast Downey Jr as Achilles in his next film, ‘The Iliad,’ which is scheduled to release in 2029.

While some posts describe the role of the legendary Greek warrior as one of the main characters who speaks to Odysseus when he visits the underworld, others claim that the ‘Iron Man’ actor will star as the male lead in Nolan’s next project.

The claim has spread across several social media platforms including X, Instagram, and Threads, garnering millions of views. While many appeared to believe the claim, others questioned its authenticity, prompting a fact-check.

Fact Check: Neither Robert Downey Jr nor Christopher Nolan made any such announcement

The claim, however, is false, as there are no credible reports of Downey Jr being cast as the lead in Nolan’s next film. 

Although Nolan once approached the actor to portray the Greek God Poseidon in ‘The Odyssey,’ there are no publicly available reports about the ‘Iron Man’ actor being cast in the acclaimed filmmaker’s next film.

Warner Bros. once approached Nolan to direct a film based on the ancient Greek epic, but the project was later handed over to Wolfgang Petersen, who made ‘Troy.’

If the claim were true, prominent news and entertainment media outlets would have widely covered it. Neither Nolan nor Downey Jr has made such an announcement. 

A search for the claim revealed it originated from an X account that describes itself as ‘pushing fan agendas.’

Christopher Nolan on honoring 'The Odyssey'

Earlier, ahead of the release of ‘The Odyssey,’ Nolan spoke on the adaptation of the classic Greek epic. 

He said, “Remember, I spent 10 years of my life dealing with ‘Batman’. When I came on ‘Begins,’ writers and artists had been working on this beloved character for almost 65 years, and a lot of freighted thoughts were out there about what he represents.” 

“And what I learnt over my time on that trilogy is you can’t worry about any of that at all. What you have to do is honor the original text by interpreting it in the strongest way you personally can,” Nolan added.