Actor-turned-director Mel Gibson has angered far-right Polish groups with the casting of a pro-choice activist in his new film, The Resurrection of the Christ.
Polish-born actor Kasia Smutniak, known in her country for being a supporter of women’s rights, will star as Jesus’s mother, Mary, in Gibson’s long-delayed sequel to his 2004 biblical epic, The Passion of Christ.
Supporters of Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice party (PiS) have reportedly written to Gibson’s Icon Productions banner, protesting Smutniak’s casting. They’ve cited her support for the Strajk Kobiet (“Women’s Strike”) movement, a nationwide campaign against Poland’s strict abortion laws, per local outlet PolskiRadio.
Meanwhile, other outraged individuals have taken to X to call on conservative figures like Candace Owens to speak out against Smutniak.
“Dear Candace Owens @RealCandaceO I’m curious what do you think about this choice?” one wrote, alongside a screenshot of an old Instagram picture of Smutniak covering one eye with a middle finger and her face covered in handwritten text.
“Should someone with such strong left-wing views and supporting for abortion play this role? Please, look onto her face… all this inscriptions are protested against life,” they added. “If she really played this role, more than half of Poles and Christians of all the world not watch this movie.”
Gibson’s publicist told Variety that he was unaware of the protests. The Independent has contacted Smutniak’s representatives for further comment.
The Resurrection of the Christ, which has already begun filming in Rome, welcomes an entirely new cast to Gibson’s 2004 epic, with Smutniak taking over for Maia Morgenstern as the Virgin Mary and Cuban actor Mariela Garriga replacing Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdalene.
Jim Caviezel was originally expected to reprise his role as Jesus with the use of de-aging technology, but he has since been replaced by Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen.
The sequel will be split into two parts and will follow Jesus’s journey through Hell before the Resurrection. Its expected 2027 release comes more than 20 years after The Passion of Christ, which retold the life of Christ before his Crucifixion.
Despite Gibson’s known opposition to birth control and abortion, Smutniak isn’t the first pro-choice actor to be cast in his biblical retellings. Bellucci, who starred in The Passion of Christ, has also spoken in support of the women’s right to choose, previously calling an abortion ban a “moral falsehood.”
The Resurrection of the Christ is scheduled to premiere in theaters March 26, 2027.
