Fans of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ had to wait roughly 20 years before the promised sequel went into production. And during that time actor Jim Caviezel was on standby, ready to play Jesus on the big screen again. Except, things didn’t turn out as planned. Aside from Caviezel aging (which was meant to be fixed with de-aging tech) and how costly that fix would have been, Icon, Mel Gibson’s production company, decided to go in a completely different direction with the sequel films – which meant casting new actors, including Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen (36 when he was cast and best known for The Last Kingdom) as the new Christ.
Why Jim Caviezel Isn’t Returning in The Resurrection of the Christ
In a new interview with Raymond Arroyo on the Arroyo Grande podcast, the 58-year-old actor has finally spoken out and revealed that he was “heartbroken” about losing the role.
According to Caviezel, the problems started after he read the first and second scripts and he realized that they “really didn’t need me. It’s a smaller role.” That’s a head-scratching revelation considering that the films are based around Christ as a central figure in the story. Variety reports that The Resurrection of the Christ takes place three days after Christ’s crucifixion. So saying it’s a small part doesn’t make much sense.
Either way, Caviezel took the lead in Ghost Soldier, an action film that opened in theaters on November 6, instead. In his own words, he calls himself “the main dude in it.”
Why Mel Gibson Recast the Whole Film
But it’s easy to see why Icon decided to move onto different actors. The Resurrection films are a direct sequel to the original film. There’s been a number of changes from the original. Aside from the cast, the film will also be made in English (not Aramaic, Hebrew and Latin). And there’s also a Biblical reason that could fit too: Jesus’ appearance was different after his resurrection – often appearing in a new form to his disciples.
A production source told Variety it “made sense to recast the whole film.” And Caviezel isn’t the only one replaced. Monica Bellucci’s Mary Magdalene now belongs to Mariela Garriga.
Jim Caviezel on The Passion of the Christ: “They Can’t Touch It”
Then Caviezel got to the part that sounds like a man defending his house or showing a little bit of jealousy:
I’ll go to anybody. What we did on that movie they can’t touch it. Uh nothing. When I’m dead and gone, that’s an annuity. People are going to keep coming back and finding God and I did my job. And I did it well. I couldn’t have done these films and you know you you you have to find uh the the the piece that continues to grow to to grow but did I want to do it? Of course I did.
He didn’t spell out who “they” are, but it came as he explained why he isn’t in the sequels. The 2004 film cost $30 million, opened at $83.8 million and pulled in more than $610 million worldwide. It held the title of highest-grossing R-rated film in the US for about 20 years, until Deadpool & Wolverine took it in 2024 (critics were cooler than audiences, with 50% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and 81% from audiences).
Release Dates, Budget and What Caviezel Does Next
The Resurrection sequels reportedly cost $250 million for two parts, and they shot for seven months at Cinecittà Studios in Rome, with Robrecht Heyvaert replacing Caleb Deschanel behind the camera. Gibson reportedly called the script “an acid trip,” and he’s added things scripture never mentions, like a young Saul of Tarsus turning up in a scene from Jesus’ childhood visit to the temple.
Can a film like that touch the first one? Caviezel sounds like it’s a no. You get to argue it yourself when Part One opens May 6, 2027, with Part Two following on May 25, 2028. Lionsgate pushed both parts back from their original March and May 2027 dates.
Caviezel will show up in another story focused on Jesus later this year. He’ll play King Herod in Angel Studios’ Zero A.D.: The Birth of Christ, which opens in theaters on December 11.
Where to Watch The Passion of the Christ
You can rent or buy The Passion of the Christ digitally in the US, including through Fandango at Home, Amazon, Apple TV and YouTube, and Rotten Tomatoes lists where it’s playing in your region.
