Matt Damonis currently in the middle of filmingThe Odyssey, the next film from acclaimed directorChristopher Nolan, but arguably the most controversial project of the star’s career has stumbled into streaming success almost 10 years later. Damon stars alongsidePedro PascalinThe Great Wall, the 2016 historical action epic following a group of European mercenaries who encounter a secret army that defends the Great Wall of China against deadly creatures.The Great Wall beganstreaming on HBO Maxat the start of July, and it’s become one of the most popular movies in America, sitting at #5 at the time of writing. The film earned abysmal scores of 35% from critics and 42% from audiences onRotten Tomatoes, and it even turned a profit off its $150 million budget by grossing $334 million globally.
The Great Wallwas plagued with controversy even before its release, but once the film hit theaters, things didn’t get any easier. Damon faced backlash for the whitewashing of his character, which he responded to by calling it a“f****** bummer”in a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly. He also has spoken openly about his discontent on the set ofThe Great Wall, admitting that, during production, itdidn’t feel anything like the movie he signed up for.Carlo Bernard,Doug Miro,Tony Gilroy,Max Brooks,Edward Zwick, andMarshall Herskovitzall contributed toThe Great Wall’s screenplay, andYimou Zhangdirected the film.The Great Wallscribe Tony Gilroy bounced back from the film with great success, working on the beloved Star Wars filmRogue Oneand its prequel series,Andor.
Is Matt Damon in the MCU?
Matt Damon made his MCU debut in 2017 inThor: Ragnarokas Actor Loki, starring oppositeChris Hemsworth’s brother, Luke Hemsworth, in the play on Asgard. The duo even returned several years later inThor: Love and Thunderto reprise their roles. Damon can also be seen inDeadpool 2as Redneck #2, one of the people sitting on the truck bed when Cable (Josh Brolin) comes out of his time machine into the present day. After starring in a supporting role inOppenheimer, Damon will leadThe Odysseyfor Christopher Nolan next year —the first teaser for the filmwas released last week.
The Great Wallis one of the most popular movies in America onHBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Damon’s future projects.
The Great Wall
