Lupita Nyong’o is facing new criticism online over resurfaced comments she made about Marvel’s Black Panther, African culture, and representation, as the backlash continues over her casting as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Nyong’o plays two roles in the film: Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus and Leda, and Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra.
The debate started after Nyong’o defended Nolan’s casting by pointing out The Odyssey is a mythological story. She also said the movie’s cast is “representative of the world” and that she is not spending her time defending the decision because “the criticism will exist” whether she engages with it or not.
Now, critics online are pointing to past comments Nyong’o made about Black Panther, where she praised the Marvel movie for pushing back against the misrepresentation of Africa.
Lupita Nyong’o’s Black Panther Comments Resurface
In the resurfaced interview clip (watch below)), Nyong’o talked about how Black Panther treated African culture and why that mattered to her.
“What Black Panther shows us is that there is a whole host of people who get the misrepresentation that Africa has had,” Nyong’o said, adding that the movie showed people who “respect the continent” and wanted to “reinvestigate the continent and re-represent the continent.”
Nyong’o said the issue was personal to her.
“That’s important to me because I am all about the demystification of the African continent,” she said.
She also explained that Black Panther was careful not to treat Africa as one generic place.
“Oftentimes the African continent, when it’s portrayed in cinema, it’s very general,” she said. “And we were all hell-bent on it not being general.”
Critics Accuse Nyong’o Of A Double Standard
One user on X, whose post has drawn more than half a million views, argued that Nyong’o is upset by the “misrepresentation” of African culture, but has no issue playing a Greek mythological figure in Nolan’s film.
The user called Nyong’o a “hypocrite” and said she has “no business” in The Odyssey.
The argument from critics is simple: Nyong’o praised Black Panther for carefully grounding the fictional nation of Wakanda in real African cultures, but is now defending a movie where she plays Helen of Troy, one of the most famous figures from Greek mythology.
The same user also points out that Nyong’o turned down The Woman King because she said it didn’t properly portray African culture.
Nyong’o Praised Black Panther For Respecting Real Cultures
Nyong’o’s resurfaced comments make clear she viewed Black Panther as a project that avoided turning Africa into one vague cultural idea.
She pointed to Wakanda’s use of Xhosa, saying the fictional nation “speaks the language,” which meant the cast had to learn it and get the accent right in English.
“We needed to learn that language,” Nyong’o said. “We needed to get the accent in English and everything, though it’s a fictitious nation.”
She also said Wakanda was “derived from real African cultures,” and pointed to costume designer Ruth Carter researching groups including the Tuareg, Masai, Dogon, and Surma.
Nyong’o said the goal was to show respect for “very wealthy and diverse cultures” that often “get washed as one thing.”
The Odyssey Backlash Continues
Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy has already drawn backlash, including from Elon Musk, who criticized Nolan’s casting choices on X.
Nyong’o responded by saying The Odyssey is “a mythological story.”
She also pushed back on the idea that Helen should only be viewed through beauty.
“You can’t perform beauty,” Nyong’o said. “I want to know who a character is. What is beyond beauty? What is beyond looks?”
The new criticism shifts the debate away from just the casting itself and puts Nyong’o’s own past comments about representation under the microscope.
About The Odyssey
The Odyssey is written and directed by Christopher Nolan and is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic.
The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, John Leguizamo, and Travis Scott.
The Odyssey opens in theaters on July 17, 2026, from Universal Pictures.
