Emmy-winning actor Jon Bernthal is well remembered for his portrayal of hot-head Shane Walsh in seasons 1 and 2 of The Walking Dead. While that role may have put him on the map, Bernthal has continued to secure incredible roles that showcase his diversity as an actor. In 2025 alone, Bernthal will be seen in several new roles and Deadline reports he has been cast in The Odyssey.
Award-winning filmmaker of the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, will now adapt Homer's The Odyssey. The ancient Greek poem is divided into 24 books and is one of the oldest works of literature still read today. The Universal film will be a mythic action movie filmed worldwide using the new Imax Film technology. The film will be Nolan's most expensive to date and will exceed $250 million, more than The Dark Knight Rises.
The Odyssey follows Homer's other famous poem The Iliad, and chronicles the 10-year story of the King of Ithaca, Odysseus, and the perils he encounters while traveling home after the Trojan War. Other notable characters in the story include his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus, with Athena, Circe, Poseidon and Zeus.
The Odyssey cast
Bernthal has been added to the previously announced cast of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron. There have been no announcements regarding which characters the actors will portray.
The Odyssey, Nolan's second film for Universal, is scheduled to begin filming in February. The movie will release in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Bernthal won an Emmy for his role in the FX series The Bear. He will reprise his role as The Punisher in the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, released on March 4. In April, he will star in an espionage thriller, The Amateur, with Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.
Another April release starring Bernthal will be The Accountant 2 where he reprises the role of Brax Wolff, brother of Christian, played by Ben Affleck. This is a direct sequel to the original movie that was released in 2016. He will co-lead a mystery thriller His & Hers with Tessa Thompson that is expected to release in 2025.
Check out these stories and more on Undead Walking:
Follow Undead Walking on Twitter (X) and Facebook and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on everything in The Walking Dead universe.