Last month, the Marvel Jesus beat the real Jesus at the box office. Yes, Ryan Reynolds, leaning a little too hard into his Deadpool/messiah vibe, toppled The Passion of the Christ in global earnings. This led to a discourse among fans, wondering if Americans have become a little less religious than they were when The Passion of the Christ first hit theaters two decades ago. And now, the moment of truth is upon us.

The Passion of the Christ is gearing up for a comeback with a sequel, with a recent positive production update surfacing, and it looks like this battle of Superheroes vs. Christianity at the box office might finally be settled once and for all.

The Passion of the Christ: Ressurection has been in the works for years. But it was not until it got knocked off by Deadpool & Wolverine that there is finally some movement on Mel Gibson’s sequel. According to the Italian news agency Italpress, Gibson is currently in Malta with a production team, looking for potential filming locations for the anticipated movie. The sequel is about to kick its production off in early 2025, as has been confirmed by Collider.

Gibson's trip is part of a five-day visit, during which he will meet the government officials on the Mediterranean island. As per the report, as soon as the filmmaker wraps up promoting his upcoming action thriller Flight Risk, which premieres in January, he will begin working on The Passion of the Christ: Ressurection. While the exact direction of the sequel is still up in the air, it is rumored to take on a more spiritual and metaphysical approach compared to the original. Even Ryan Reynolds weighed in on last month’s box office face-off with Gibson's film.

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Reynolds, as expected, responded to the news of overtaking The Passion of the Christ at the international box office with his classic wit.

Ryan Reynolds is one of the rare few celebrities who can crack pious jokes without ending up on the wrong side of a backlash. In an interview with Collider, he was asked if he ever thought he would beat out Jesus at the box office. To which Reynolds quipped, “Wow, well thank you for putting us in a no-win cultural situation”. He also referenced the risky Passion of the Christ joke from Deadpool 2.

In Deadpool 2, during a scene in Dopinder’s car, Deadpool jokes, "I'm in the same sentence as Jesus". He then added that in terms of R-rated box office, it's "Passion of the Christ, then me." Even co-writer Rhett Reese admitted the joke could have easily ruffled feathers among religious fans. Nonetheless, now the ball is in The Passion of the Christ’s court to see if it can reclaim its crown from Deadpool & Wolverine.

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What do you think about The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection’s update? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!