Marvel star looks unrecognizable as ‘Jesus’ in new movie

An Oscar-nominated star known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe plays ‘Jesus’ in a new movie, and you may not recognize him.

Many actors have taken on the role of Jesus: Willem Dafoe in The Last Temptation of Christ, Claude Heater in Ben-Hur, Kenneth Colley in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Jonathan Roumie in The Chosen, and Jim Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ are arguably the most notable examples.

The Book of Clarence offers its own twist on the Bible, following a down-on-his-luck man (LaKeith Stanfield) in first-century Jerusalem who wants climb out of debt by capitalizing on the rise of Jesus and becoming the 13th apostle.

Jesus does appear in the movie, portrayed by Nicholas Pinnock. But another character gets mistaken for the messiah – and it’s a star you’ve definitely seen elsewhere.

Benedict Cumberbatch looks unrecognizable in The Book of Clarence

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Benjamin, a beggar in Jerusalem who’s mistaken for another messiah – we won’t go into spoilers, but things don’t go well for him.

“Benedict Cumberbatch living his hot girl hours fantasy as white Jesus will crack you up,” one user reacted to the film. “The Benedict Cumberbatch reveal in The Book of Clarence had me dying,” another tweeted.

“The Book of Clarence was a cool movie. I wasn’t moved, but it was cool. Benedict Cumberbatch coming out of nowhere was fun lol,” a third wrote. “Benedict Cumberbatch in The Book of Clarence is something that I never imagined could happen,” a fourth posted.

The film has garnered praise from critics, with its Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 68%. “The Book of Clarence puts a solidly funny spin on Biblical themes, but don’t be surprised if it also makes you cry before it’s done – and think long after you leave the theater,” its audience consensus says.

The official synopsis also reads: “Streetwise but struggling, Clarence is trying to find a better life for himself and his family, make himself worthy to the woman he loves, and prove that he’s not a nobody. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, a journey through which he finds redemption and faith, power and knowledge.”

The Book of Clarence is available in cinemas and to rent or buy digitally via Amazon Prime.

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