Mel Gibson made one surprising choice for Mary Magdalene that has Hollywood talking

Mel Gibson’s biblical epic is finally getting a sequel more than two decades later.

But Gibson made one decision that caught everyone off guard.

And Mel Gibson made one surprising choice for Mary Magdalene that has Hollywood talking.

Gibson replaces Monica Bellucci with Cuban rising star

Mel Gibson started shooting "The Resurrection of the Christ" last week at Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios.¹

The director returned to the same facility where he filmed 2004’s "The Passion of the Christ" – which became one of the highest-grossing independent films ever made, raking in over $610 million worldwide.²

Gibson completely recast the sequel, replacing Italian icon Monica Bellucci with 36-year-old Cuban actress Mariela Garriga in the pivotal role of Mary Magdalene.³

The casting represents a dramatic shift in direction.

Bellucci was already an international film star when Gibson cast her in the original film – known for bold performances in controversial films like "Irréversible."⁴

Her agent actually warned her against taking the role, believing the project would fail.⁵

Instead, "The Passion of the Christ" grossed $370.8 million domestically and remained the highest-grossing R-rated film in North America for 20 years.⁶

Now Gibson’s betting on Garriga – best known for playing Marie in the recent "Mission: Impossible" films opposite Tom Cruise.⁷

https://twitter.com/MissionFilm/status/1668604343543791627

From Havana to Hollywood to holy roles

Garriga’s journey to landing Mary Magdalene reads like a Hollywood script itself.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1989, she originally dreamed of becoming an archaeologist.⁸

When her mother fell ill and couldn’t walk, 13-year-old Garriga abandoned those plans and became the family breadwinner.⁹

She started working in TV commercials and eventually landed a spot with Cuban Television Ballet.¹⁰

In 2009, Garriga relocated to Italy and studied at Michael Rodgers Acting Studio in Milan.¹¹

She later trained in New York at the Terry Schreiber Studio and The Actors Studio – the same legendary institution that produced Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.¹²

The trilingual actress holds Cuban, Italian, and American citizenship and speaks Spanish, Italian, and English fluently.¹³

Her breakthrough came when she got a surprise call from "Mission: Impossible" producers asking her to fly to England immediately for a casting call.¹⁴

Just one day after that call, she was on a plane – and shockingly got the role the same day as her audition.¹⁵

In the films, her character Marie revealed important details about Ethan Hunt’s past, playing a former girlfriend who was killed by the villain Gabriel.¹⁶

Gibson’s recast gamble makes sense

Sources close to the production explained why Gibson decided to recast the entire film.

"The Resurrection of the Christ" takes place just three days after Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday.¹⁷

"It made sense to recast the whole film," a production source revealed. "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."¹⁸

Jim Caviezel had suggested back in April that he expected to reprise his career-defining role of Jesus.¹⁹

Instead, Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen – currently 36 and best known for "The Last Kingdom" – will play Christ.²⁰

Polish-born actress Kasia Smutniak replaces Maia Morgenstern as Mary, while Italy’s Pier Luigi Pasino takes over the role of Peter.²¹

Riccardo Scamarcio – who recently starred in the Johnny Depp-directed biopic "Modì" – will play Pontius Pilate.²²

Veteran actor Rupert Everett rounds out the cast in an unspecified but important role.²³

What Gibson’s casting reveals about Hollywood’s shift

Gibson’s choice to cast Garriga over a more established name shows how the film industry has changed.

The original "Passion" succeeded partly because it felt authentic – Gibson had the film performed in ancient languages including Aramaic and Latin with subtitles.²⁴

He’s clearly going for that same authenticity with younger actors who can physically embody characters in their late 20s and early 30s.

Look at the calculation here.

Rather than spend millions on digital de-aging for actors now in their 50s and 60s, Gibson cast age-appropriate performers who can handle the physical demands of the role.

The timing works perfectly for Garriga’s career trajectory.

She’s established international credibility through the "Mission: Impossible" franchise but hasn’t yet become so famous that audiences can’t see her as Mary Magdalene.

That’s the sweet spot for biblical epics – actors talented enough to carry dramatic weight but not so well-known they overshadow the character.

Gibson described the sequel as an "acid trip" and said he’d "never read anything like" the scripts he wrote with "Braveheart" screenwriter Randall Wallace.²⁵

The plot will focus on Christ’s resurrection and reportedly includes the fall of the angels – meaning scenes in supernatural realms beyond Earth.²⁶

"The Resurrection of the Christ" will be split into two films.

Part One releases on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, while Part Two arrives 40 days later on Ascension Day, May 6, 2027.²⁷

Besides Cinecittà’s new Studio 22 facility, production will shoot in the ancient southern Italian town of Matera and other historic locations including Ginosa, Gravina Laterza, and Altamura.²⁸

Gibson’s taking a massive gamble splitting this into two films – especially after recent box office disasters for Part One releases like "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One."

But if anyone’s earned the benefit of the doubt on biblical epics, it’s the director who turned "The Passion of the Christ" into a cultural phenomenon that church groups organized advance screenings for nationwide.

Whether Garriga can match Bellucci’s emotional intensity remains the biggest question.

The original Mary Magdalene performance brought depth to a character often reduced to stereotype – showing strength, devotion, and profound grief.

Garriga’s proven she can handle complex emotional material in her "Mission: Impossible" flashback scenes.

Now she’ll find out if she can carry that same intensity through Gibson’s most ambitious project yet.

¹ Nick Vivarelli, "Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Finds New Jesus and Mary Magdalene in Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, Reveals Main Cast," Variety, October 14, 2025.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Priya Sharma, "’She was just a sinner like you and me’: Monica Bellucci Risked Her Hollywood Career for a Spiritual Reason," FandomWire, July 31, 2023.

⁵ "Monica Bellucci," Wikipedia, accessed October 15, 2025.

⁶ "The Passion of the Christ," Wikipedia, accessed October 15, 2025.

⁷ Nick Vivarelli, "Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Finds New Jesus and Mary Magdalene in Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, Reveals Main Cast," Variety, October 14, 2025.

⁸ "Mariela Garriga: From Havana to Hollywood, The Story of a Mission: Impossible Star," BedokSG, October 11, 2025.

⁹ "Mariela Garriga," IPD Talent Agency, accessed October 15, 2025.

¹⁰ Ibid.

¹¹ "Mariela Garriga," Wikipedia, accessed October 15, 2025.

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Ibid.

¹⁴ "Cuban actress Mariela Garriga returns to the Mission: Impossible saga," Cuba en Miami, May 20, 2025.

¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ "Who Plays Ethan Hunt’s Former Girlfriend in ‘Mission: Impossible 7’? Meet Mariela Garriga," Just Jared, July 17, 2023.

¹⁷ Nick Vivarelli, "Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Finds New Jesus and Mary Magdalene in Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, Reveals Main Cast," Variety, October 14, 2025.

¹⁸ Ibid.

¹⁹ Ibid.

²⁰ Ibid.

²¹ Ibid.

²² Ibid.

²³ Ibid.

²⁴ "The Passion of the Christ," Wikipedia, accessed October 15, 2025.

²⁵ "Jim Caviezel & Monica Bellucci Won’t Return For ‘Passion Of The Christ’ Sequel," GeekTyrant, October 14, 2025.

²⁶ Ibid.

²⁷ Nick Vivarelli, "Mel Gibson’s ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Finds New Jesus and Mary Magdalene in Jaakko Ohtonen and Mariela Garriga, Reveals Main Cast," Variety, October 14, 2025.

²⁸ Ibid.