- Primary Subject: Robert Pattinson's role as the antagonist Antinous in Christopher Nolan's upcoming epic The Odyssey, and his surprising character comparisons.
- Key Update: During the London premiere of The Odyssey, Robert Pattinson compared his character to Twilight's Jacob Black.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 7, 2026
- Quick Answer: Robert Pattinson compared his character Antinous to Twilight's Jacob Black because both are caught in intense love triangles trying to win over a woman.
The buzz surrounding Christopher Nolan's massive $250 million historical epic, The Odyssey, is reaching a fever pitch following its star-studded world premiere in London.
While early reactions are hailing the film as a cinematic masterpiece, it is Robert Pattinson's scene-stealing role as the primary antagonist, Antinous, that has everyone talking.
Leaving his usual "hero" roles behind, Pattinson is bringing a bizarrely hilarious perspective to the ancient Greek adaptation, even managing to link it right back to his iconic teen vampire franchise roots.
Why Robert Pattinson Is Convinced His The Odyssey Role Is Similar to Twilight’s Jacob
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In a recent interview with MTV U.K. at the world premiere of Christopher Nolan's epic action-fantasy film in London, Robert Pattinson, who is set to play the antagonist, Antinous, was asked how fun it was to play a character that "everyone is not rooting for."
In Homer's epic, Antinous is the most arrogant and violent suitor vying for Penelope's (Anne Hathaway) hand in marriage. While Odysseus (Matt Damon) was lost at sea, Antinous aggressively depletes the household's wealth, plots to murder Odysseus's son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), and is the first suitor killed upon Odysseus's return.
"I think they will be rooting for him," Pattinson responded with a laugh, backing up his statement with a callback to one of his most iconic sagas, "I keep comparing it... it's kind of like Jacob in Twilight."
The Drama actor added, "What The Odyssey is about — Penelope just can’t make her mind up between the two guys, and I’m just trying to like help her make a decision. … It’s like, it’s fine. He’s dead, get over it."
While The Odyssey and Twilight don't have much in common, Pattinson was likely comparing Jacob's attempts to win Bella's heart from Edward throughout the film franchise, which essentially became Antinous's driving goal.
Who The Odyssey Star Drew Inspiration From to Prepare for His Role as Antinous
To bring the right level of historical sleaze to the ancient Greek antagonist, Pattinson didn't look to ancient texts; instead, he looked to 1990s crime cinema. The actor revealed that he drew heavy inspiration from James Woods' famously frantic and slimy performance as Lester Diamond in Martin Scorsese's Casino.
Pattinson wanted to capture that exact brand of deeply untrustworthy, grifter energy and translate it directly into ancient Ithaca.
In fact, he leaned so far into the "sleazy" concept that he tried to push for some wildly un-Homeric wardrobe choices during production.
“I thought it’d be quite nice to see it in Ithaca. And he’s like a little sleazy,” The Batman actor said. “I kept saying at my costume fitting, I was like, ‘I really want to have leopard underpants.’ I want to have it just coming out of my skirt, a little sparkly fur.”
While it remains to be seen if Christopher Nolan actually allowed the leopard print to make the final cut, critics are already calling Pattinson's eccentric villain turn one of the absolute highlights of the film.
In the meantime, fans can watch The Odyssey as it hits theaters on July 17, 2026. Stay tuned!
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