2 Attachment(s)
Original Gladiator Star Hopeful To Return For Ridley Scott Sequel
With a cast of fresh faces so far, original Gladiator star Djimon Hounsou reveals his hopes to return for Gladiator 2. Hounsou starred in Ridley Scott's 2000 historical action-drama as Juba, a slave in the Roman Empire who would become the closest ally to Russell Crowe's Maximus in his quest for revenge against Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus. Scott is returning to direct Gladiator 2, which will be led by Paul Mescal and is set for a November 2024 release.
In honor of his return to the DC Universe with Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Djimon Hounsou caught up with The Guardian for a retrospective on his career. Though expressing frustrations over his struggle to land many roles in Hollywood, Hounsou did have a positive outlook on his future. Namely, the original Gladiator star expressed his hopes to return for Scott's in-development sequel, though didn't indicate whether he had been in talks with his prior director.
Everything We Know About Gladiator 2
If he does end up reprising his role, Hounsou returning for Gladiator 2 would be an interesting decision for the actor, who memorably found himself playing three slave roles within a five-year span, the others including Amistad and The Four Feathers. The 20 years since have seen the Oscar nominee go on to star in such blockbuster franchises as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Universe. He also would mark the first original actor to come back for the sequel, as Crowe has indicated he won't be in Gladiator 2.
Though Hounsou’s Gladiator 2 role has not been confirmed, several other Gladiator 2 cast members have been announced thus far. Recent Oscar nominees Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal will appear in the film playing characters named Emperor Geta and Lucius, the latter of whom was the nephew of Commodus in the original. Denzel Washington is also in final talks to appear in the film, reuniting him with Scott after 2007's American Gangster.
As of yet, the plot of Gladiator 2 remains unknown. With Mescal taking on the role originated in Gladiator by then-child actor Spencer Treat Clark, however, the sequel will likely explore the impact Maximus left on Lucius and his evolvution in the decades since. Because Hounosu’s Juba survived the first Gladiator, his being reprised in the sequel is still entirely possible. Time will tell as Gladiator 2 continues its development.
