Elliot Page's Sinon role in The Odyssey defies transphobic backlash
DIRECT ANSWER: Elliot Page plays Sinon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey—the Greek soldier linked to the Trojan Horse in Virgil's Aeneid, not the warrior Achilles. After the New York premiere with girlfriend Julia Shiplett, leaked clips from his sinon odyssey arc reignited transphobic outrage online as the film opened July 17, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Elliot Page portrays Sinon, Odysseus's cousin—a figure from Virgil's Aeneid, not Homer's original epic.
- Right-wing critics misgendered Page and wrongly assumed he was playing warrior Achilles.
- Nolan's version reframes Sinon as an honorable soldier who does not know the horse's true purpose.
- Page attended the NYC premiere with partner Julia Shiplett and LGBTQ+ allies including Peppermint.
- Christopher Nolan has dismissed casting backlash to the film as irrelevant.
Who is Sinon in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey?
According to Nerdist, Elliot Page plays a character Homer never wrote. Sinon appears in Virgil's Aeneid as a Greek soldier connected to the Trojan Horse deception.
In Nolan's adaptation, Sinon is Odysseus's cousin and an Ithacan who fights alongside Matt Damon's king. PinkNews reports Sinon is killed during the horse ordeal, then returns as a spirit whom Odysseus meets in the Underworld, warning him about events back home.
Page reunites with Nolan here for the first time since Inception. Though Sinon appears in only a handful of scenes, Nerdist notes they are central to Odysseus's moral reckoning.
Why did transphobes target Elliot Page over leaked clips?
Them reports that after Page's NYC premiere—attended with Shiplett, Peppermint, comedian James Tom, and ACLU attorney Chase Strangio—leaked footage showed Sinon dehydrated and struggling on a beach.
Conservative commentators seized on the clips, complaining Page looked weak and unlike Achilles. That complaint misses the point: Page was never cast as Achilles. Rumors that he would play the legendary warrior sparked months of backlash, including a Newsmax segment in which anchor Rob Finnerty misgendered and deadnamed the actor.
As PinkNews notes, Nolan has branded that outrage irrelevant. Page, meanwhile, appeared happy on the red carpet with a partner the same critics cannot claim.
How does Nolan's Sinon differ from mythology?
Classical sources often portray Sinon as a cunning liar who tricks Troy into accepting the wooden horse. Nerdist explains Nolan instead depicts an honorable soldier who genuinely believes the horse is a gift to Athena from departing Greeks.
The film also rewrites Sinon family ties. Rather than mythology's robber father, this Sinon is the son of a servant in the aristocratic household of Robert Pattinson's Antinous. Sinon dies from Trojan spears while unknowingly advancing a deception; Odysseus later buries him on Troy's shore.
For more on how blockbuster epics reshape ancient stories through modern filmmaking, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage.
What should audiences expect from Page's performance?
Critics who called Page feeble in leaked seconds may be witnessing deliberate acting. Them argues that if Sinon appears vulnerable on screen, that is the job—not proof he should have played a muscle-bound Achilles.
Page has also posted boxing training footage ahead of release, underscoring physical preparation for the role. With The Odyssey hitting cinemas July 17, thousands are expected to judge the full performance—not a ten-second clip—on its own terms.