[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Director Christopher Nolan has expanded his scope beyond directing and screenwriting to include “lyric writing” in the film *The Odyssey*. Following his decision to feature rapper Travis Scott as a bard in the film, he also personally contributed to the creation of the ending song. Nolan’s vision to connect Homer’s epic poem—which has been passed down for nearly 3,000 years—with modern rap has thus extended to the music outside the film as well.

◇A Rapper in the Role of an Ancient Bard… Why Nolan Chose Scott
According to foreign media outlets such as Pitchfork and NME, Nolan is credited as a co-lyricist on “When I’m Home,” the end-credit song for *Odyssey*. The track features Travis Scott, James Blake, and Ludwig Göransson, who composed the music for *Odyssey*.
At 5 minutes and 27 seconds, “When I’m Home” is more than just a song that plays after the movie ends. Scott delivers a modern rap that evokes the original text of Homer’s epic, while Blake handles the chorus. Over Järnson’s music, the theme of “homecoming”—which runs through Odysseus’s long journey—unfolds.
It is not known exactly which parts of the lyrics Nolan wrote. However, the fact that he is credited as a co-lyricist demonstrates that the music for *The Odyssey* was also closely designed to align with the film’s narrative.

Travis Scott’s role extends beyond the closing song. He also appears in the film itself, playing a bard who recounts the story of the Trojan War.
Nolan had a clear intention behind casting Scott. He focused on the fact that Homer’s *The Odyssey* was an oral epic passed down through people’s words before it was written down.
In an interview, Nolan explained his decision to cast Scott, saying, “I kept in mind the similarity between the fact that *The Odyssey* was passed down as an oral epic and rap.” He connected the role of the bard—who sang and conveyed stories in ancient Greece—to the rapper in modern popular culture.
This is fundamentally different from simply featuring a famous rapper in a cameo role. Nolan chose Scott as a figure whom today’s audiences can intuitively understand as someone who conveys stories through poetry and captures people’s attention.
In the film, Scott actually recounts the stories of the Trojan War and Odysseus to the audience. By having a modern rapper retell these ancient tales, the film effectively recreates the very way *The Odyssey* has been passed down by word of mouth for thousands of years.

◇From the “Tenet” Ending Song to an Actor and Singer in “The Odyssey”
This isn’t the first time Nolan and Scott have collaborated. In 2020, Scott contributed to “The Plan,” the end credits song for Nolan’s film “Tenet.” Jónson also collaborated on the music for that project.
In *Odyssey*, their reunion after six years saw their collaboration expand significantly. Scott didn’t just sing the ending song—he also appeared in the film himself, while Nolan, in turn, was credited as a co-lyricist on the song featuring Scott.
Ultimately, in *Odyssey*, rap was used not as a trendy gimmick tacked onto the film, but as a medium connecting to the work’s roots. In ancient times, bards sang stories before audiences; Nolan placed a modern rapper in that role. After the film ends, Scott’s voice carries on once more through the closing song.
From the screenplay and direction to the casting, the musical concept, and even the songwriting credits for the closing track—Nolan’s involvement in *Odyssey* extended far beyond the screen. A single idea—how to convey an ancient epic to a modern audience—runs through the film, connecting the actors, the music, and the very final moments of the movie.