Mel Gibson’s New Jesus Casting Sparks Fan Backlash for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’
Fans are reacting strongly to the casting changes in Mel Gibson’s upcoming film, The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One.
The movie, a sequel to Gibson’s 2004 hit The Passion of the Christ, now stars Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus and Mariela Garriga as Mary Magdalene.
The film is set to explore Jesus’ time in Hell, encounters with fallen angels, and the Harrowing of Hell. It will be followed by The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two, scheduled for release on May 6, 2027.
Originally, Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in the first film, was set to reprise his role. Caviezel was expected to be de-aged using the same technology used in The Irishman (2019) so he could look slightly older than in the original film.
In January, Gibson announced the title of the sequel, and Caviezel confirmed in April that he would return, describing the process as asking Jesus to work through him. Gibson also described the film as an “a*** trip” that would take viewers through a surreal and intense depiction of Christ’s journey.
However, by October, Caviezel and Monica Bellucci had left the project due to age and scheduling conflicts. Soon after, Gibson announced a full recast of the original movie’s roles to avoid the high cost of CGI de-aging. Jaakko Ohtonen replaced Caviezel as Jesus, Garriga took over the role of Mary Magdalene, and other key roles, including Peter and Pontius Pilate, were recast with new actors.
The news has sparked significant controversy among fans. Many are unhappy with Ohtonen’s casting, particularly criticizing the lighter skin tone of the new actor compared to Caviezel. Social media has been flooded with reactions, such as:
“Jim Caviezel is the only one. Even if you film a thousand movies, the only one called for being Jesus would be Jim. The Passion with Jim will stand for all generations. Holy forever.”
“He’s got big shoes to fill. I pray it can be done. Jim only wanted people to see Christ, not him. God bless him.”
“I don’t think he will be able to fill Jim’s shoes. Jim was built for the role, even his initials were JC. But I hope the new actor does justice to the role.”
Other fans expressed deeper disappointment:
“He won’t. Nobody is like Jim. He consecrated his life to follow Jesus’ paths. Mel is losing pure faith for materialism. So sad.”
“Jim Caviezel lived—not acted—this role 20 years ago. It’s deeply connected to him. I’m not sure this change is smart. Many fans of the first movie will boycott.”
The casting change has sparked debate about whether the new actors can live up to the legacy of the original film.
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