Tom Holland jokes Zendaya's Athena character is married to him in The Odyssey interview

During a Wired video interview, Tom Holland made a lighthearted joke about his wife Zendaya's role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. When asked whether Zendaya's character, the goddess Athena, loves Matt Damon's character Odysseus romantically, Holland quickly replied, "No, because she's married to me." The quip drew laughter from his co-stars, including Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson, with Damon praising it as "a good answer."

In The Odyssey, which was released on July 17, 2026, Zendaya plays Athena, a Greek goddess who guides Odysseus (Damon) during his long journey home after the Trojan War. Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus' son, while Hathaway portrays Penelope, Odysseus' wife. Robert Pattinson appears as Antinous, one of Penelope's suitors. When asked what Athena teaches Telemachus, Damon continued the joke by responding, "True love."

The interview also touched on the film's central mystery. When asked why Athena chooses to help Odysseus, Damon cautiously replied, "This is difficult in the context of our movie without giving things away. Because does Athena choose Odysseus or does Odysseus choose Athena?" He declined to elaborate further to avoid spoilers.

Holland and Zendaya, who first met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, recently married. The couple has maintained strict privacy about their relationship and wedding details. In June, Holland confirmed in an Esquire interview that he and Zendaya had tied the knot, referencing viral AI-generated wedding photos by noting that all family and close friends "were all there." Zendaya has previously stated that while she is aware of public interest in her personal life, she is a very private person and tries to keep certain aspects of her life private.

The two actors appear together in both The Odyssey and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is scheduled for release on July 30, 2026.