This made the Man in Blacks inclusion seem likely, sparking curiosity over who might play the iconic musician.
For starters,A Complete Unknownis not a sequel or even a companion piece toWalk the Line.
Phoenixs return would have also come with significant baggage.
Luckily, Mangold found the perfect person to wear the black suit.
His performance captures the essence of the man without feeling like an imitation of Phoenix or Cash himself.
If Phoenix had returned, theres a good chance Holbrook wouldnt have been cast at all.
Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
“Johnny Cash is a character inA Complete Unknown, but this is not his story.
To bring Joaquin back would have sent the wrong message about the movie were making.
Universal Pictures
