Has everyone seen The Odyssey yet? Even after months of anticipation, somehow Christopher Nolan and Co.—including our Summer Issue cover stars, of course—exceeded my expectations. After going deep on Calypso’s role in Homer’s epic ahead of my conversation with Charlize Theron for ELLE, I was surprised by how much it differed from the movie, yet none of the changes feel arbitrary. Below, our deputy editor for digital content, Erica Gonzales, analyzes how the film’s deviations from its source material help make one of the world’s great stories feel even more relevant in 2026.
—Sara Austin, executive editor
