In the summer of 2023, we had Barbenheimer, when the theatrical release of the bright pink Barbie overlapped with Christopher Nolan’s dark, historical Oppenheimer. Two completely different worlds got mashed together into one massive cultural moment. I think we’re ready for another one with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Both movies are long journeys for their heroes. We can call it “Ody-Spider” or “Spider-ssey,” the ultimate crossover between the web-swinger we all love and the epic Greek journey of the Odyssey. There’s already a huge overlap in the cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jon Bernthal are in both movies.
Why Barbenheimer Worked#
Barbenheimer wasn’t planned by the studios. It was the internet’s idea. People noticed two movies that couldn’t be more different were coming out on the same day, and it turned into a joke, then a meme, and then a real event. People dressed in pink for one and black for the other and made a full day of it. Both movies did huge business, and it got a lot of people back into theaters who hadn’t been in years.
The lesson was that people still love going to the movies when it feels like an event. Not every movie needs to be a double feature, but when the timing lines up, it’s fun to be part of something everybody’s talking about.
The Double Feature Lineup#
This summer’s version lines up pretty well. The Odyssey came out in mid-July, with Matt Damon as Odysseus trying to get home from the Trojan War, and Nolan shot it on IMAX film cameras, so it was made for the biggest screen you can find. Spider-Man: Brand New Day swung in a couple of weeks later, at the end of July.
On paper, they’re opposites. One is a 3,000-year-old Greek epic about gods, monsters, and a long sea voyage. The other is a modern superhero story set in New York. But at the heart of both is a hero far from home, trying to get back to the people they love, and paying a price along the way. That’s a pretty good theme for a double feature.
The Crossover We Deserve#
After the last Spider-Man movie explored the multiverse, a time-traveling Spider-Man back in ancient Greece seems within reach. He could put armor on over the red-and-blue suit and join the quest home. Picture him webbing the Cyclops’s eye shut, or sticking to the side of the ship while everyone else is tied to the mast to resist the Sirens. It would be challenging without tall buildings to swing from, but a hero has to do what a hero has to do.
Planning Your Own#
If you want to try the double feature:
- Watch The Odyssey first. It’s the heavier, longer movie, so catch it while you’re fresh.
- See it in IMAX if you can. It was shot for that format.
- Take a real break in between. Get a meal and talk about the first one.
- Finish with Spider-Man. End the day on something a little lighter.
Have fun!
