Well, it’s that time again – AD: The Bible Continues has come to cash in on a recent trend of religiously themed films and TV shows. Sorry, no, to tell that second, much more easily digestible part of the scripture. Brought to you by the familiar husband/wife duo of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, The Bible Continues is the sequel to their successful History Channel miniseries The Bible, AD will feature one important change – a much more diverse cast.

When the creators (no pun intended) released the original series, besides an overwhelming swell of success, they also faced some criticism on account of the all-white cast. So this time, Downey and Burnett have decided to cast a wider net. Much, much wider.

More: Mark Burnett and Roma Downey Wanted "Your Kid" and "Your Grandmother" to Enjoy The Bible

The two looked to places like Africa to cast key roles: Mary Magdalene, for example, is played by Zimbabwean actress Chipo Chung, who is Afro-Asian, and Gambian Babou Cessay, who is black, plays John the Beloved. Jesus is played by Argentine Juan Pablo Di Pace.

They definitely tried harder this time around. In Burnett’s words (quoted via The Guardian): "I feel it's so important for all communities to see themselves on the screen, but in the end our goal was to find the best and by casting that wider net we found the best actors (for the roles)."

The miniseries premieres Tonight (Sunday, April 5) at 9PM EDT on NBC.