Jim Caviezel says he’ll always regret not returning as Jesus in Mel Gibson’s sequel

Jim Caviezel says he’ll always feel disappointed that he wasn’t able to reprise his role as Jesus in Mel Gibson’s upcoming film, “Resurrection of the Christ.” Still, he said, taking the lead in his new movie, “Ghost Soldier,” meant he couldn’t have appeared in the sequel.

Before agreeing to star in 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” Caviezel recalled, he considered turning it down. A friend urged him to think about whether he could move on if he passed up the opportunity. Caviezel said the connection between his initials, JC, and his age at the time—33—stayed with him. He felt his life had prepared him for the role, and decided he couldn’t walk away from it.

He knew the film could bring trouble, he said, but felt he couldn’t live with himself if he refused. In his view, Jesus remains a controversial figure, and Caviezel said he’s willing to engage with that. He also saw a connection between the “warrior spirit” in “Ghost Soldier” and the mindset he brought to “The Passion of the Christ.”

Caviezel said he hasn’t spoken with Gibson about the new film. Earlier this week, he said Gibson didn’t need him for the sequel, where he believes the role is smaller than it was in the original. Caviezel described his earlier performance as central to every part of the film, and said playing Jesus was more difficult than playing Superman.

He also said he believes the original film will continue to find audiences long after he is gone, and that viewers may find faith through it. “I did my job,” he said.

In “Ghost Soldier,” released on Veterans Day, Caviezel plays a former Green Beret. He said his long-standing relationships with Navy SEALs helped him prepare, including connections formed while working on other films. The movie’s writer, Chris Papasadero, is a Green Beret, which Caviezel said helped the story feel authentic rather than overly polished for Hollywood.

Caviezel said he connected with his character, who stands up to a powerful company threatening a rural Wyoming community. He spoke about loving his country and wanting it to have secure borders, and said he drew on conversations with people he met while working on “Sound of Freedom.” He compared the character’s determination to that of James Stewart’s in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” though this story takes place in a small town.

Filming included time in water around 36 degrees. Caviezel said he dislikes being cold, and remembered using what he learned during “G.I. Jane,” where he played a SEAL trainee. For that film, he experienced “surf torture,” a training exercise in which cadets lie on a beach as cold ocean water washes over them.

He asked SEAL advisers on “Ghost Soldier” how they managed the cold. That advice also brought back memories of “The Passion of the Christ,” during which Caviezel said he was severely hypothermic for five and a half months.

Caviezel said he hopes veterans will feel he did the work required for the role. He relies on their guidance, he added, and it means a lot to him when they’re proud of the finished film.

He said each new movie feels like a public judgment on whether he’ll continue to be offered roles. So far, he said, he’s been able to keep working, one film at a time, over the past 40 years.

“Ghost Soldier” opened in the United States on Nov. 11, 2026, with international releases beginning Nov. 13.