Miles Teller Responds to Rumors That He’s Playing Jesus for Martin Scorsese

Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller has addressed the rumors linking him to Martin Scorsese‘s delayed biblical epic. While attending the premiere of his latest movie, the horror thriller The Gorge, Teller was asked directly about the rumors, which suggest he’s playing Jesus for the legendary filmmaker.

Last year, rumors circulated that Scorsese was considering Teller and Andrew Garfield to star in an upcoming project: an adaptation of Shūsaku Endō’s 1973 novel A Life of Jesus. At the premiere of The Gorge, Teller denied that any talks had transpired between him and the acclaimed director. Speaking with Variety, Teller responded “Noooooooo,” when asked if he was set to portray the biblical figure on-screen.

And while those talks have not taken place, that doesn’t mean that Teller wouldn’t be interested in working alongside the Taxi Driver director.

“Dude, when I read that, I was calling my agent, like, ‘Did Marty Scorsese … has this script gotten lost in the shuffle or something?’ That’s a tough one. Playing Jesus?”

Despite the absence of communication between the two camps, Teller expressed his admiration for Scorsese and his willingness to collaborate on a project. Scorsese, whose credits include Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed, and Killers of the Flower Moon, is one of Hollywood’s most renowned filmmakers, and that magic is not lost on Teller:

“I think that’s just one of those things that got put out there, and I have no idea how or why. I think pretty much any actor, if Marty Scorsese offers you something, you say, ‘Yes, and I’ll figure it out.’ No, I haven’t gotten the call for that one.”

While Garfield has not addressed the rumors, his involvement in A LIfe of Jesus would mark his second project with Scorsese, after 2016’s Silence (which was also based on a book by Shūsaku Endō).

Martin Scorsese’s Biblical Project Stalls

Scorsese’s interest in adaptating A Life of Jesus stems from a 2023 meeting with Pope Francis. As of right now, however, the movie has stalled, and Scorsese’s name is attached to other projects: a possible adaptation of Marilynne Robinson’s Home, and Devil in the White City. The latter, based on Erik Larson’s 2003 non-fiction novel Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, is set to reunite Scorsese with frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie, which has been in development for over a decade, will be released by 20th Century Studios.

For now, audiences can watch Teller in The Gorge, which hits Apple TV+ on Valentine’s Day. The genre-bending romance stars Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy as elite snipers stationed on opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. This week, we also learned that Teller will portray Italian cyclist and WWII hero Gino Bartali in an upcoming biopic.

While the likelihood of Scorsese’s Jesus project actually coming to fruition remains uncertain, Teller’s comments indicate his desire to work with the director. Scorsese recently said he “has more films to make,” so there’s still a chance we’ll see a Teller and Scorsese collaboration in the future.

The Gorge

2.5
/5

Release Date

February 28, 2025

Runtime

127 Minutes

Writers

Zach Dean

Producers

Gregory Goodman, C. Robert Cargill, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Don Granger, Miles Teller, Sherryl Clark, Adam Kolbrenner