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Here are the actors playing Jesus and Mary in ‘The Passion of the Christ’ sequel

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Credit: Lukas Gojda | Shutterstock

The roles of Jesus and Mary in 'The Resurrection of the Christ: Part 1' will be played by Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, recasts from 2004's 'The Passion of the Christ.'

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The roles of Jesus and Mary in the long-awaited sequel to 2004's The Passion of the Christ will be played by Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, the entertainment magazine Variety announced October 14.

Ohtonen replaces actor Jim Caviezel, and Garriga replaces Maia Morgenstern for The Resurrection of the Christ, a two-part telling of the three-day period between Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection. The film is being directed by Mel Gibson.

The film began shooting at Cinecittà Studios in Rome earlier this week, reported Variety. This is the same location where Gibson filmed The Passion of the Christ.

The replacement of Caviezel as the role of Jesus came as somewhat of a surprise. Back in 2018, again in 2020, and as recently as April 2025, Caviezel said he was set to reprise the iconic role in the film's sequels.

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in "The Passion of the Christ," will not reprise the role in the sequel.
Photo by Philippe Antonello. - © 2003 Icon Distribution Inc.

In 2020, Caviezel told a radio show he had received a script of the movie, and that "It’s going to be the biggest film in world history."

The exact details and plot of The Resurrection of the Christ have remained somewhat of a mystery. In 2023, Gibson said he had two versions of the movie in place. The sequel to The Passion of the Christ has been in some form of production for about a decade.

Caviezel's age, filming gap, a problem

According to a source close to the film, the main reason Caviezel was replaced in the role was the actor's age.

“It made sense to recast the whole film,” the source told Variety. “They would have had to do all this CGI stuff, all this digital stuff — de-aging and all that — that would have been very costly."

Ohtonen, a Finnish actor, is 36 years old. This is roughly the same age as Caviezel during the filming of The Passion of the Christ.

The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One is slated for release on March 26, 2027 — Good Friday. Part Two will be released on May 6, the Feast of the Ascension. Lionsgate will release the movies in theaters.