Musk Criticizes Nolan's Casting of Nyong'o as Helen

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, publicly criticized director Christopher Nolan's casting of Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in the upcoming film "The Odyssey" through a series of posts on X, the social media platform he owns.

Musk responded to comments from online users, including one from commentator Matt Walsh who wrote, "Not one person on the planet actually thinks that Lupita Nyong'o is the most beautiful woman in the world. But Christopher Nolan knows that he would be called racist if he gave the most beautiful woman role to a white woman. Nolan is technically talented but a coward." Musk replied to the post with the single word, "True." In another exchange, Musk agreed with a user pointing to Academy Awards eligibility criteria, stating, "He wants the awards."

The remarks follow Nolan's recent confirmation in a Time magazine interview that Nyong'o will portray both Helen of Troy, famed in Homer's epic as the woman whose beauty sparked the Trojan War, and her sister Clytemnestra. Musk has voiced similar objections before. Earlier this year, he described the casting as "an insult to Homer," noting the ancient poet's depiction of Helen as fair-skinned and blonde.