The Passion Of The Christ 2: Cast, Story & Everything We Know

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ 2 is confirmed, but the sequel looks to be a lot more controversial. In 2004, The Passion of the Christ took the world by storm with particular appeal to American evangelicals, and it was successful in many international markets as well. Principally inspired by the Gospel of John, The Passion of the Christ also incorporated a number of Catholic traditions and even the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824). Its release became particularly controversial due to charges of antisemitism — not helped by Gibson’s own personal controversies.

Since 2004, Gibson has openly talked about the possibility of making a sequel that continues the narrative. The Passion of the Christ was undeniably one of the most important Biblical epics ever made by Hollywood, so it’s not really a surprise to see Gibson finally attempt to turn this into something of a loose franchise — especially at a time when franchises tend to have more drawing power than individual actors and directors. But it remains to be seen whether Gibson can pull off another hit, appealing to the same evangelical audience who responded so positively to the first movie.

The Passion Of The Christ 2 Latest News

Mel Gibson Discusses The Upcoming Sequel

Though most updates concerning the sequel have proven to be somewhat untrue in the past, the latest news finds Mel Gibson discussing The Passion of the Christ 2. In a recent interview, Gibson laid out his ambitious plans to tell the story of Christ’s resurrection, describing it as “an acid trip” and unlike anything he’s read before. He also hinted that work begins “next year” suggesting 2026. This production start time comes after a long line of previous production starts fell through.

Gibson said:

I’m hoping next year sometime. There’s a lot required because it’s an acid trip. I’ve never read anything like it.

My brother and I and Randall all sort of congregated on this. So there’s some good heads put together, but there’s some crazy stuff. And I think in order to really tell the story properly you have to really start with the fall of the angels, which means you’re in another place, you’re in another realm. You need to go to hell. You need to go to Sheol.

Gibson dropped a big bombshell during the interview concerning the movie’s casting, and he revealed that original Jesus star Jim Caviezel wouldn’t be reprising the role. Chalking the recast up to the fact that Caviezel (now 20 years older than when he originated the role in The Passion of the Christ) would need to be digitally de-aged to play the part, Gibson is on the hunt for a new Jesus.

Read Gibson’s thoughts on the production below:

It’s about finding the way in that’s not cheesy or too obvious. I think I have ideas about how to do that and how to evoke things and emotions in people from the way you depict it and the way you shoot it. So I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It’s not going to be easy and it’s going to require a lot of planning and I’m not wholly sure I can pull it off to tell you the truth, it’s super ambitious. But I’ll take a crack at it because that’s what you got to do, right, walk up to the plate, right?

The Passion Of The Christ 2 Is Confirmed

A Sequel Is Coming Soon

The Passion of the Christ 2 is confirmed, and it was due to begin filming in spring 2023. Star Jim Caviezel confirmed the script had been completed in September 2020, and claimed it would be “the biggest film in world history.” Gibson has worked with Randall Wallace on the script, with Wallace acknowledging interest in the sequel. “I always wanted to tell this story,” Wallace confirmed back in 2016, “The Passion is the beginning and there’s a lot more story to tell… a sequel will be even bigger.“

Gibson came forward in early 2025 and put many previous rumors about the movie to bed. The director and actor mentioned that 2026 was the target year for the production to start, and that original Jesus star Jim Caviezel would not be reprising the role. It remains to be seen if the movie will actually start filming in 2026, since many other production updates have proven false.

The Passion Of The Christ 2 Cast Details

Jim Caviezel Is Not Reprising His Role As Jesus

One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the Passion of the Christ 2 camp was that Jim Caviezel was expected to return as Jesus. The first film was one of his highest-profile movies, and he’s subsequently gone on to appear in a wide range of films and TV shows, including the likes of Outlander, The Prisoner, and Person of Interest. He also returned to the world of biblical epics for Paul, Apostle of Christ, where he played the apostle Luke alongside James Faulkner’s Paul.

However, Mel Gibson has now revealed that Caviezel is out as Jesus, and he has explained that the cost of de-aging the actor using CGI would be too expensive. It’s unclear if that means other previously announced returns are off the table, since the de-aging problem would apply to them too. However, Maia Morgenstern was announced to reprise her integral role as Mary. Actor Francesco De Vito was announced again as Peter, and Christo Jikov was rumored to be reprising the role of John. Gibson’s update puts all that in doubt, and the cast should be considering blank for now.

The rumored cast of includes:

The Passion Of The Christ 2 Story Details

The Harrowing Of Hell May Be The Movie’s Subject

Though the plot of The Passion of the Christ 2 is still being kept under wraps, speculation has abounded. Over the years, there have been consistent reports that Jesus’ resurrection will not be the main focus; rather, that the film will focus on the three days between Jesus’ death and resurrection, where many Christians believe Jesus descended into Hell. Many of The Passion of the Christ‘s scenes weren’t in the Bible, and the sequel could continue that trend.