Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 will focus on Paul Mescal’s Lucius. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Gladiator 2, featuring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, takes place years after the original film, following the death of Maximus, played by Russell Crowe.
After 24 years, fans of Gladiator are finally getting the first glimpse of the highly awaited sequel. Gladiator 2 brings Paul Mescal into the spotlight as Lucius, against Pedro Pascal’s Roman general, Marcus Acacius. Denzel Washington joins the cast as Macrinus, while Connie Nielsen returns as Lucilla, Lucius’ mother. The sequel takes place years after the original film, following the death of Maximus, played by Russell Crowe. Although Pascal’s character didn’t appear in the first movie, he will play one of the central characters in the new story. Ridley Scott’s film promises to show Lucius’ journey back to Rome as a gladiator, where he faces a new enemy and reconnects with his mother.
Derek Jacobi is also returning to reprise his role as Senator Gracchus, Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn will play the Roman Emperor Caracalla, while Fred Hechinger steps into the shoes of Emperor Geta, replacing the Saltburn star Barry Keoghan. At the moment, it’s unclear if Joaquin Phoenix or Crowe will appear in flashbacks or dream sequences. However, the main story will focus on the new cast, especially on Mescal’s character, who is expected to be the central highlight of the film.
In a conversation with Vanity Fair, Paul Mescal spoke about how he landed the lead role in Gladiator 2 and explained, “It happened fast. We spoke for about 20 to 30 minutes. I wanted to get a flavour from him (director Ridley Scott) about what the story was going to be about, so we spent about 15 minutes talking about that and then we spent another 10 minutes talking about the sport that I played growing up, Gaelic football. Maybe that was something that helped with it, in that I’m used to being physical in my body. Two or three weeks later, the offer came in.”
Talking about playing Marcus Acacius, Pedro Pascal said, “This movie has an identity that is shaped by his legacy. It wouldn’t make sense for it not to.” The Mandalorian star describes Acacius as a fighter who “learned from the best, so of course this code of honour is ingrained into his training and into his existence. But at the end of the day, he’s a different person. And that can’t change who he is. Maximus is Maximus, and that can’t be replicated. That just makes Acacius capable of different things.”
Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator 2 is scheduled to release on November 22, 2024.
