Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ sequel just experienced a casting shakeup that certainly left fans of the original movie talking.
Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will be playing the role of Jesus in The Resurrection of the Christ, replacing Jim Caviezel, who portrayed the figure in the original 2004 film, per Variety. Additionally, Mariela Garriga will be taking over the part of Mary Magdalene, which was previously held in the original film by Monica Bellucci. The outlet also reported Kasia Smutniak is replacing Maia Morgenstern as Mary, mother of Jesus, and Pier Luigi Pasino will be playing Peter.
Fans voiced their shock on X after the casting news was revealed, as many were rooting for Caviezel, 57, to come back to play Jesus.
“What happened? What changed? Wasn’t Jim hyping up this movie since forever?” one person questioned, while another said, “I’m less interested in these films knowing that Caviezel isn’t returning.”
“Sorry, but this is an awful cast decision,” a third person wrote, while a fourth questioned, “What’s the reason? I know he’s 57, but really, it’ll be a tough job replacing him.”
Others pointed out that Ohtonen, 36, could be a good fit for the part with a little help from the special effects and makeup teams.
“Eh. Add a beard, a fake nose, and I might be able to see it,” one X user said. “Those are some big shoes to fill. Caviezel was the best Jesus ever done IMO.”
“Everyone complaining must have forgot movie makeup exists,” another person commented. “I want Caviezel back, but if he’s too old for the role then it is what it is.”
It was first reported on Friday, October 10, by Page Six that Caviezel and Bellucci, 61, would not be returning to reprise their roles. At the time, replacements were not immediately named, causing mass speculation and outrage on social media.
“Recasting Jesus is crazy 😭,” one person wrote on X after hearing the news, while a second person echoed, “This is QUITE shocking. Jim Caviezel has been talking about the The Passion of the Christ sequels for some time. Caviezel also mentioned a few times that the script he read was one of the BEST scripts of all time. Based on some reports, Caviezel also had multiple talks with Mel Gibson. Things do change, and it’s possible that Caviezel can’t handle the physicality the role requires, or it’s possible that he can’t commit to doing two sequels.”
Others suggested Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen, to take over the part.
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During an appearance on the “Arroyo Grande With Raymond Arroyo” podcast in April, Caviezel hinted that he would be part of the sequel.
“I want to enjoy this one more than I did the other one, I got too far over my skis,” Caviezel said during the episode. “On the other one, I was concerned that it was not in Aramaic, I said, ‘We’re not doing this.’ Well, that was a different world. But trust, I really do trust what [Gibson] adds.”
Caviezel then explained why he was building a mental journal of his experience playing Jesus, telling Arroyo, “So, really experiencing the resurrection, because you know you’re not going to get this many shots. You know, I’m never going to get another shot at this again. And I remember somebody telling me you should take a journal. I said, my journal is right here. I remember it all, but I wish I had, you know, documented some of the stuff that I went through.”
The Resurrection of the Christ will be broken up into two parts, with the first part due out on Good Friday, March 26, 2027. The second part will be released 40 days later on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027.
