Entertainment Movies Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon Join Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Movie About Creation of Atomic Bomb Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon are joining Christopher Nolan’s next film starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt By Alexia Fernández Published on November 2, 2021 07:40 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon. Photo: getty (2) Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon have joined the cast of Oppenheimer. The two actors will star in Christopher Nolan's upcoming drama about the creation of the atomic bomb for Universal, according to Variety. The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project physicist known for helping develop the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy was previously cast as the titular scientist, with his A Quiet Place Part II costar Emily Blunt starring as his wife, Katherine. Downey Jr., 56, is set to play Lewis Strauss, who served two terms on the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission as chairman, and who was a major figure in the development of nuclear weapons and nuclear power in the U.S., according to IMDb. Emily Blunt Joins Christopher Nolan's Next Movie Oppenheimer About Creation of Atomic Bomb: Reports Damon, 51, will portray Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project. Universal described the movie as an "epic thriller" about "the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it," Variety reported. Oppenheimer was among those who observed the Trinity test in New Mexico, where the first atomic bomb was successfully detonated in July 1945. A month later, the weapons were used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In 1954, Strauss became the driving force behind the controversial hearings that stripped Oppenheimer of his security clearance, which effectively ended the physicist's role in U.S. government and policy. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Nolan is set to direct and co-write the screenplay alongside Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, authors of the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which the movie is based on. This is Nolan's latest film since the release of Tenet last year. Oppenheimer is expected to debut in theaters in July 2023.