Is the news story about the actor who plays Jesus walking out

1. What the reporting actually says: recasting confirmed, new Jesus named

Variety reported that Mel Gibson’s Resurrection of the Christ has started shooting with Jaakko Ohtonen replacing Jim Caviezel as Jesus, and listed several other recast roles such as Mary Magdalene and Pontius Pilate ^[1]. Consequence, Entertainment Weekly and People confirmed the all-new cast and the decision to recast Caviezel, noting Ohtonen’s casting and the broader cast changes ^{[4] [2] [3]}.

2. Why Caviezel is out: cost, production and creative choices described in coverage

Several outlets say Gibson had intended to use digital de‑aging to bring 57‑year‑old Jim Caviezel back as a younger Jesus but that cost and production decisions led to a full recast; reporting frames the change as a logistical/creative choice rather than a single-person controversy ^{[5] [4]}. Variety and Consequence present the recast as part of Gibson’s long-delayed plan to move the project into active production ^{[1] [4]}.

3. How the story spread and which outlets led coverage

Variety appears to have been the first mainstream trade to publish the casting news and production status ^[1]. Entertainment Weekly and People republished reporting that Caviezel will not return and that a search — now concluded with Ohtonen — took place ^{[2] [3]}. Smaller film sites such as World of Reel and Consequence amplified the story and provided production context about delays and de‑aging plans ^{[5] [4]}.

4. Conflicting or missing details across reports

Reports consistently say Caviezel is not returning and that Ohtonen has been cast, but specifics differ on motives: some pieces emphasize budgetary reasons for abandoning de‑aging, others stress a creative decision to recast for a younger lead ^{[5] [4]}. Available sources do not mention any public statement from Caviezel or Mel Gibson directly explaining the recasting in their own words ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

5. Broader context: franchise history and production delays

Reporting places this recast against nearly two decades of stops and starts for Gibson’s follow‑up; Variety and World of Reel note the sequel was delayed multiple times (original planned shoots 2023–2024) and now appears to be entering active production in 2025 with a largely new ensemble ^{[1] [5]}. Consequence and other accounts situate the decision within cost and logistical realities of a high‑profile sequel that originally relied on Caviezel’s iconic performance ^[4].

6. What this means for audiences and for Caviezel’s legacy

Journalistic coverage frames the change as a production pivot rather than a repudiation of Caviezel’s earlier performance: outlets emphasize that Caviezel’s role in the 2004 Passion remains defining while the sequel will use a different actor for creative and practical reasons ^{[1] [2]}. None of the cited articles claim that Caviezel was fired for misconduct; they attribute the recast to recasting decisions and technical/cost considerations ^{[5] [4]}.

7. Beware of loose social claims and gaps in reporting

Several later or informal sources speculated about motivations and behind‑the‑scenes disputes; the most reliable accounts in this set are Variety, People and Entertainment Weekly, which stick to verifiable casting and production facts ^{[1] [3] [2]}. Available sources do not mention any on‑set walkouts by actors playing Jesus in other productions or any contemporaneous news that an actor "walked out" of this project — that claim is not found in current reporting ^{[1] [3] [2]}.

8. Bottom line and what to watch next

For now, the factual takeaway is simple: multiple mainstream outlets report Jim Caviezel will not return and Jaakko Ohtonen has been cast as Jesus in Mel Gibson’s Resurrection of the Christ ^{[1] [4] [2]}. Follow‑up reporting to seek direct statements from Caviezel, Gibson or production representatives would resolve remaining ambiguities; those direct quotes are not present in the sources provided ^{[1] [3]}.