Elon Musk Tries To Troll Historian Tom Holland Over 'The Odyssey'—And It Backfires Spectacularly

Few things unite social media faster than a public Elon Musk argument. This time, the billionaire (trillionaire?) found himself sparring with historian Tom Holland over Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation of The Odyssey, prompting both criticism of Musk's comments and widespread confusion over which Tom Holland was actually involved.Elon Musk previously took issue with Lupita Nyong'o's casting in the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation. The Kenyan-Mexican actor plays both Helen of Troy—famously described in Greek mythology as the most beautiful woman in the world—and her sister, Clytemnestra, a casting choice Musk criticized for what he described as DEI reasons.He also responded after an X user claimed Nyong'o's casting proved the story was never the point and an insult to the author.Elon’s response can be seen here: Chris Nolan has lost his integrity— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 31, 2026Musk amplified posts from conservative commentators arguing that Oscar winner Nyong'o's appearance does not align with the original Greek text's description of Helen of Troy as fair-skinned and blonde.Now, he's drawing attention again after making a negative comment about Tom Holland. No, not that Tom Holland—the historian Tom Holland.On Tuesday, Holland praised the film while sharing a link to an article highlighting positive reactions ahead of its July 17 theatrical release.He wrote:More praise for The Odyssey from people who - shockingly - have actually waited to see it before giving their opinion.An X user then quote-tweeted Holland's post and declared, This might be the worst movie ever made, prompting Musk to respond, Tom Holland is such a c**k.The billionaire did not specify which Tom Holland he meant, briefly sending X users into a frenzy over whether the world's richest man had suddenly decided to target the actor best known for playing Spider-Man.Holland wasted little time responding:Very happy to say it again. The Odyssey is an amazing film, and missing out on seeing it because you think it's woke or whatever is cutting off your nose to spite your face.Insane to think that the guy who actually saw the movie might just have the more informed opinion here... who would've thought?You can view the exchange here: My last comment on this whole business (which I hadn’t realised was a lightning rod for an entire culture war) - if you like Nolan’s other films, you will love The Odyssey. If you didn’t like them, then miss it.— Tom Holland (@holland_tom) July 8, 2026The exchange quickly went viral, with Holland's response earning more than 50,000 likes while generating widespread praise from users who sided with the historian.Social media had this to say and meme about: The viral post is the latest chapter in Musk's criticism of The Odyssey, which began earlier this year with his objections to Nyong'o's casting as Helen of Troy. Many users pushed back, pointing to earlier reinterpretations of Greek mythology, including Orson Welles' 1950 Paris stage production of Time Runs, which cast a 22-year-old Eartha Kitt as Helen of Troy. Her performance earned widespread acclaim and helped launch her international acting career.Musk's comments also drew responses from public figures defending Nyong'o, including Whoopi Goldberg and Alec Baldwin.Baldwin shared this post on Instagram: See on Instagram While Musk's comment was aimed at historian Tom Holland, much of social media seemed far more entertained by the possibility that he was feuding with the Spider-Man star. Either way, the exchange gave The Odyssey another round of attention—and handed users yet another reason to mock Musk online.