Gladiator 2 has been in development hell for years, but is now closer to fruition than ever, and sounds way better than it has any right to be. The original Gladiator, directed by celebrated filmmaker Ridley Scott, is considered not only one of the best swords-and-sandals movies ever made, but one of the greatest films of all time. Gladiator hugely influenced every revenge flick that followed, regardless of the period, but given that Russell Crowe's Maximus died at the end of the movie, Gladiator did not lend itself naturally to a sequel.

As Gladiator grossed a phenomenal $503 million worldwide, however, it is no surprise that great effort has gone into bringing Gladiator 2 to the big screen. The sequel will finally start filming in summer 2023 following various false starts, with one unused Gladiator 2 story idea involving Maximus coming back from the dead. Fortunately, those ideas were scrapped, and the sequel instead follows Lucilla's son, Lucius, played by Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal. Scott is even returning to direct the film. Between the story, the original filmmaker returning, and a massive all-star cast, Gladiator 2 is actually sounding better than ever.

Gladiator 2's Cast Keeps Getting Better & Better


Along with Mescal, the Gladiator sequel sports a superb cast that makes up for the absence of Crowe. Following an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in The Banshees of Inisherin, and following his appearance as one of the most iconic movie villains ever in The Batman, Barry Keoghan could be cast in Gladiator 2. The Eternals actor is reportedly in talks to play a character called Emperor Geta. While there is no information about the character yet, given how Keoghan is becoming known for his villainous roles, it seems likely that Emperor Geta could be Gladiator 2's Commodus.

Two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington is also in final talks for a role in the highly-anticipated sequel, which marks a reunion between the actor and Scott following 2007's American Gangster. The casting is also special because of the history Washington had with Ridley's brother, director Tony Scott. Before Tony Scott passed away in 2013, he had an almost Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese-like relationship with Washington, directing the actor in thrilling action movies including Man on Fire, Crimson Tide, and Unstoppable. The potential additions of Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington in Gladiator 2 begin to overcome the sequel skepticism.

Gladiator 2's Story Sounds Good - After Years Of Ridiculous Maximus Ideas


Gladiator 2 will follow Lucius, son of Lucilla and the nephew of Commodus. Despite being a blood relation of the evil, power-hungry villain, Lucius was hugely influenced by Maximus, who saved the boy and his mother in the original film. The sequel will pick up when Lucius is a grown man, and it is a perfect idea to feature him as the protagonist, especially following some of the ridiculous sequel ideas that were dropped. Musician Nick Cave wrote a Gladiator sequel that saw Maximus getting resurrected and fighting in every war up to modern day. Thankfully, the new plan is much better than the Nick Cave Gladiator 2 script.

While it might not make much sense given Gladiator's ending, Maximus can still return. Although Gladiator 2 could be accused of shoehorning Maximus in just to feature a cameo from Crowe, there is one way his appearance would make sense. The sequel could simply see Maximus return in some kind of vision or a hallucination, which is the easiest way for movies to feature cameos from characters who have passed away. A dream sequence is the only way Maximus returning in Gladiator 2 could work.

Why Gladiator 2 Should Be Worth The Wait


Creating a legacy sequel that follows the original by decades is always a huge risk, especially one that has been in development hell for so long. However, the Gladiator 2 movie now looks like it will be worth the wait, and it has already destroyed a common sequel casting challenge. Casting Mescal, a relatively unknown actor, might be seen as a risk given that he is not as popular as other actors who were considered for the part. Mescal won the role over Austin Butler and Miles Teller (via Collider), who are two huge, bankable stars, which means that Mescal must have impressed Ridley Scott.

Gladiator 2 could also be significantly influential on the movie industry, as it has a chance to restart a historical movie trend. The original Gladiator influenced studios to greenlight tons of ancient world movies, but the swords-and-sandals genre has become much less popular than it used to be. Even though The Northman, for example, had a hugely positive reception from critics and audiences, it bombed at the box office. If Gladiator 2 starring Paul Mescal lives up to expectations, it could do exactly what its predecessor achieved and breathe fresh life into a dying subgenre.