Jimmy Kimmel tells Elon Musk to ‘stay in your lane’ over Lupita Nyong’o casting in 'The Odyssey'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Jimmy Kimmel fired back at Elon Musk after the billionaire criticized Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong'o in 'The Odyssey'. During his late-night show, Kimmel told Musk to "stay in your lane" before taking jabs at Tesla’s widely mocked Cybertruck.

Musk sparked backlash online after supporting criticism over Nyong'o being cast as Helen of Troy, the legendary beauty from Greek mythology whose romance with Prince Paris ignited the Trojan War. Before Kimmel joined the controversy, Alec Baldwin had also defended Nyong'o against Musk’s remarks.

Jimmy Kimmel mocks Elon Musk over Lupita Nyong'o criticism

During the May 19 episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', the comedian mocked the SpaceX CEO for reacting strongly to Nyong'o’s casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey'.

Kimmel pulled up Musk’s X posts on-air, including one where Musk claimed Nolan had "desecrated the Odyssey so that he would be eligible for an Academy Award." Musk also criticized what he described as "DEI lies" tied to Oscar eligibility standards.

“Elon Musk is now attacking Christopher Nolan, the film director, for the way he cast the movie 'The Odyssey,'” Kimmel said. “He’s upset because Christopher Nolan hired Lupita Nyong'o to play a character he believes should be played by a white woman,” as per the Daily Mail.

The late-night host then turned the spotlight back on Musk with a joke about Tesla’s Cybertruck design.

“That’s a good question. While we’re at it, who specifically is who thought this was a cool design for a truck?” Kimmel joked. “I mean, stay in your lane.”

Kimmel also noted that the outrage surrounding Nyong'o’s casting had become a wider online debate. He took aim at Newsmax host Rob Finnerty as well, sarcastically calling him "a beauty" after Finnerty devoted an entire segment to discussing Nolan’s casting choice.

Kimmel later played a clip from the segment in which Finnerty stated, “Helen of Troy was not Black.”

Elon Musk questions Lupita Nyong'o’s role in 'The Odyssey'

Nolan’s 'The Odyssey' has already generated major buzz because of its star-studded cast, which includes Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Mia Goth.

The controversy intensified after Musk questioned Nyong'o’s casting as Helen of Troy, arguing she did not match his interpretation of “the most beautiful woman in the world.” He also claimed on X that Nolan had "lost his integrity" over the casting decision.

The debate has since expanded into broader discussions online about how Helen of Troy should be portrayed on screen, with different interpretations surrounding the mythological figure’s appearance and identity.