Mary Magdalene (2018)

The more fascinating topic for exploration is what Joaquin could bring to the role. Plenty of actors have brought Jesus to life over the years—most recently Ewan McGregor in Rodrigo García’s Last Days In the Desert. How would Phoenix make the role his own?


As an actor, the most memorable of Phoenix’s roles tend to either be at least somewhat eccentric (Irrational Man, Her) and/or heavily intoxicated (The Master, Inherent Vice, Walk the Line). But in some of his movies, especially Her, Phoenix’s gift for conveying sensitivity and warmth wins out over his characters’ quirks. It would be interesting to see Phoenix switch gears from playing the lonely, oddball outsider toward playing a (presumably) more charismatic role as an ideological leader. Unless, of course, he’ll be playing Jesus as another reclusive eccentric, which might almost be even better.