You know that feeling when a trailer drops and you see a legend portrayed by someone new, and your first instinct is to compare them to the last guy? It's happening again. Everyone is buzzing about the new movie about Johnny Cash, or more specifically, the film where he plays a massive, scene-stealing role.
James Mangold is back in the director's chair. If that name sounds familiar, it should. He’s the same guy who gave us Walk the Line in 2005. But this time, he isn't retelling the Folsom Prison story. Instead, we’re looking at A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet. And honestly? The portrayal of Cash here is turning heads for reasons you might not expect.
Who is Playing the Man in Black This Time?
For a lot of people, Joaquin Phoenix is Johnny Cash. That performance was so iconic it felt like the definitive word on the man. So, when news broke that Boyd Holbrook was stepping into the boots for this new movie about Johnny Cash (well, his appearance in the Dylan story), fans were skeptical.
Holbrook isn't just doing a karaoke version. He reportedly went deep.
To get that mid-60s "amphetamine era" look, Holbrook actually showed up to set 10 pounds underweight. Mangold apparently told him to put some of it back on, but the dedication was there from day one. They used subtle prosthetics—a slightly different nose, changed eye color—to bridge the gap. But the real magic is in the voice. It’s that low, gravelly authority that defined Cash during his most volatile years.
✨ Don't miss: Adam Scott in Step Brothers: Why Derek is Still the Funniest Part of the Movie
It’s Not a Multiverse
Mangold was asked point-blank why he didn't just bring back Joaquin Phoenix. His answer was Refreshingly blunt. "I don't do multiverses," he told Rolling Stone.
He also pointed out a basic fact of math: Phoenix is in his 50s now. In the early 60s, when Dylan was first hitting the scene in New York, Johnny Cash was barely 30. He was a young, dangerous, rising superstar, not the elder statesman of country music yet.
What Really Happened Between Cash and Dylan?
The movie focuses heavily on the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. This was the moment Dylan "went electric" and the folk purists basically wanted to crucify him.
Most people don't realize how much Johnny Cash had Dylan's back during that era. While the "intellectual" folk crowd was booing, Cash was writing letters to editors defending Dylan’s right to change. He saw a kindred spirit. They were both outsiders.
🔗 Read more: Actor Most Academy Awards: The Record Nobody Is Breaking Anytime Soon
A Complete Unknown captures this weird, beautiful friendship. There’s a scene in the trailer where Chalamet’s Dylan is nervous about his new sound, and Holbrook’s Cash just says, "I wanna hear it. Make some noise, Big D." It’s a small moment, but it speaks volumes about the respect that existed between them.
Real-Life Crossover Moments
- The Letter: Cash famously wrote a letter to Sing Out! magazine telling people to "shut up and let him sing" regarding Dylan.
- The Nashville Skyline: They eventually recorded together in 1969, including the famous duet version of "Girl from the North Country."
- The Guitar Gift: Cash famously gave Dylan one of his guitars as a sign of respect—a move that was unheard of in those circles.
Is There a Standalone Johnny Cash Biopic Coming?
While Holbrook is killing it in A Complete Unknown, fans are still hungry for a full-length feature focused solely on the later years. There’s been a lot of talk about a "Man in Black" sequel or a different perspective on his life.
In the documentary world, we recently had Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon (2022), which leaned heavily into his faith and his recovery from the brink of death. But as of 2026, the big "theatrical" buzz is still centered on his presence in the Dylan narrative and the upcoming stage musical The Ballad of Johnny & June.
That musical is set to tour the UK and Ireland in 2026. It features Christopher Ryan Grant as Johnny and Christina Bianco as June. If you're looking for that classic Cash/Carter chemistry, the stage might be where you find it this year.
💡 You might also like: Ace of Base All That She Wants: Why This Dark Reggae-Pop Hit Still Haunts Us
Why This Version of Cash Matters
We’ve seen the "legend" version of Johnny Cash. We’ve seen the "outlaw" version. What this new movie about Johnny Cash gives us is the contemporary version.
In A Complete Unknown, he isn't a poster on a wall. He’s a guy in his 30s trying to figure out his own fame while watching a kid from Minnesota do something even crazier. It strips away the myth and shows the man.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a die-hard fan, don't just wait for the digital release.
- Watch the 1969 documentary Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music: It captures the exact energy Holbrook is trying to emulate.
- Listen to the Bootleg Series Vol. 15: This covers the Travelin’ Thru sessions where Dylan and Cash recorded together. It’s the raw, unpolished audio of their friendship.
- Check out the Newport Folk Festival footage: Before seeing the movie, look up the real 1965 footage. It makes the film's production design even more impressive.
The reality is that we might never get another solo movie that tops Walk the Line. But seeing Cash through the eyes of Bob Dylan? That’s a perspective we haven't seen on screen before, and it might just be the most honest look at him yet.