Jim Caviezel made Jesus in“The Passion of the Christ”one of the most recognizable roles in faith-based cinema, but he won’t be back when Mel Gibson returns to that story. Caviezel told interviewer Raymond Arroyo that after reading both“Resurrection of the Christ”scripts, he saw the role had shrunk and decided to step aside, saying Jesus“really didn’t need me.”He wished the next actor well and kept the tone gracious.
The interview wasn’t all light, though. Caviezel revisited the intense experience of filming the original, claiming the devil confronted him during production. He also explained that committing to the films would have blocked his schedule, since he’s releasing“Ghost Soldier”and Angel Studios’“Zero A.D.”in the last two months of the year.
His quote about playing Jesus being harder than playing Superman has already started circulating, and it raises a real question for film fans: when a franchise recasts its most iconic role, does the story get better or do we just miss the original? Caviezel seems to be rooting for the new guy either way.
Which version of Jesus on screen has stuck with you the most, and why? Drop your pick in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.