A recent Vanity Fair article accompanied by some spectacular first-look images has revealed the most information yet about the highly anticipated Gladiator 2 after years of the project being shrouded in mystery. The legacy sequel to Ridley Scott’s Best Picture-winning Gladiator has long been confirmed to follow Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Maximus’ (Russell Crowe) love interest Lucilla (Connie Nielsen); Lucius appears as a child in the original Gladiator (played by Spencer Treat Clark). Aside from the announcement of some Ancient Roman historical figures and A-listers appearing, additional plot details were kept under wraps.

These new images and the information accompanying them allow the story to begin taking shape. New personal and political rivalries and alliances are confirmed, while certain images promise show-stopping gladiatorial battles (as most people would have expected the movie to include). However, it is also just thrilling to finally see the Gladiator 2 cast in costume against the backdrop of massive sets, upholding the scale and tone of the original. If these new images and details are any indication, the next Gladiator is shaping up to be another complex epic of historical fiction.

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Paul Mescal’s Gladiator Costume & Look

The first look at an adult Lucius in gladiator armor in Gladiator 2.

Mescal is a huge new star whose career is only getting bigger, yet he was still a somewhat surprising choice for Gladiator’s new lead. Mescal achieved his breakthrough with the romantic drama series Normal People; following that, he starred in similar drama-inclined (not action-oriented) movies, including Aftersun, Foe, and All of Us Strangers. However, this apparent dissonance only made everyone more eager to see him in character for his foray into a new genre.

Several of the new stills showcase Mescal’s Lucius in gladiator armor standing in the Colosseum itself. Vanity Fair published some excellent images that capture not only the harsh nature of Mescal’s new character — reminiscent of Maximus — but also the dramatic setting. Mescal’s Gladiator 2 costume nods to Maximus, with several new plot details also confirming the character’s legacy and presence in the sequel despite his death in Gladiator’s ending.

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What Happened To Lucius After Gladiator

Lucius grew up outside the Roman Empire but is forced to return for Gladiator 2.

Gladiator 2 has been framed as a return story, where, after spending years away from home, Lucius returns to Rome amid new political conflict. It is now confirmed that Lucilla sent Lucius to the region of Numidia on the northern coast of Africa when he was still a child, at that time, just outside the Roman Empire. Lucius resents his mother for this decision, but it is strongly implied that she made this choice after the events of Gladiator to protect her son.

Lucilla was possibly prompted to do this by the ascension of the twin brothers Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn), who are to be this movie’s villains. Meanwhile, Lucius came of age in Numidia and started a family there, setting up another possibly tragic parallel with Maximus. Lucius will soon be drawn into the movie’s central conflict when a Roman contingency led by Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades the region.

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Pedro Pascal’s Character Trained Under Russell Crowe’s Maximus

Maximus’ expertise influenced a major character in Gladiator 2.

Pascal’s character who is leading that invasion will play a major role in the story as a whole. Marcus Acacius is a Roman general who is said to have trained as a junior officer under Maximus, although he does not appear in Gladiator as any substantial character. In this way, Gladiator 2 is setting up a very intriguing storyline concerning Maximus’ legacy and how it comes into conflict with Lucius’ present goals. Lucius greatly admired Maximus as a child, but “Acacius is a symbol of everything he detests” (Anthony Breznican, Vanity Fair).

A bloody feud between Lucius and Acacius will be at the center of the story. Scott confirms that Acacius’ raid on Namidia is the movie’s opening, during which Lucius is captured and brought back to Rome as a gladiator. Regarding his character, Pascal said (Vanity Fair):

“This movie has an identity that is shaped by [Maximus’] legacy. It wouldn’t make sense for it not to […] [Acacius] learned from the best, so of course this code of honor is ingrained into his training and into his existence. But at the end of the day, he’s a different person. […] He’s a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer.”

The tangled web of relationships between Lucius, Acacius, Maximus, and Lucilla supports a new story where personal conflicts are just as important and profoundly influence the political side of things.

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Lucilla Is In A Relationship With Pedro Pascal’s Gladiator 2 Character

Lucius and Acacius’ feud is further complicated by Lucilla’s love for both of them.

Lucius and Lucilla have been out of contact since she sent him away from Rome, and he does not even know for sure if she is still alive until he returns. She “doesn’t recognize the battered creature in the Colosseum as her son, and has no idea about the bloody history between him and the man she loves” (Breznican). Nielson’s description of Lucilla and Acacius’ relationship suggests that she found comfort in him following Maximus’ death and, from her perspective, being given no choice but to send her son away.

In a shocking twist of fate for both her and Lucius, he and Acacius are not on a collision course with each other, something Lucilla will have to reckon with in Gladiator 2. It will likely contribute to an even more difficult dynamic between Lucius and his mother, as he is already angry with her for sending him away. Lucilla is one of the historical characters in Gladiator and has always found herself at the center of these intense rivalries. Not being a skilled warrior herself, she is dependent upon wisdom to survive.

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Paul Mescal’s Lucius Fights Against Pedro Pascal’s Acacius

Lucius and Acacius will have an arena battle rivaling those in Gladiator.

A key image released by Vanity Fair implies that everything between Lucius and Acacius will come to a bloody end in the arena. How Acacius ends up playing gladiator in the Colosseum is a mystery, as someone of importance like a general would probably not have done this in Ancient Rome. Gladiator bends history for the sake of theatricality, although Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) did fight in the Colosseum himself. However, in the rare case where an emperor became a gladiator, it was likely under controlled conditions to guarantee his survival (via history.com).

Therefore, Commodus rigging the game by stabbing Maximus before their fight is actually strangely accurate. If Acacius has inherited any sense of Maximus’ moral code, he probably wouldn’t do this himself — although he is also probably a skilled fighter who can hold his own anyway. The frozen-in-action image of Lucius and Acacius’ fight promises that it is going to be a nerve-racking scene, which may take place at the movie’s climax or earlier, leaving the surviving characters to deal with the political fallout.

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Details About Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Character

Denzel Washington’s Macrinus is another morally gray figure in Gladiator 2.

Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 character finally has a name, Macrinus. Scott describes him as a Roman powerbroker and arms dealer, using his wealth to supply Roman armies and train captives for gladiatorial combat, which the director notes probably makes him a malicious figure to the gladiators. Given that the story is primarily about Lucius, he will likely end up in Macrinus’ custody after the siege on Numidia but before the Colosseum. However, Macrinus will doubtlessly be more than just a stop on the road to revenge.

Scott previously commented on Macrinus’ complex motives (via Deadline):

“He’s wealthier than most senators, so already has thoughts and designs of the possible idea of taking power from these two crazy princes.”

While she is dealing with Lucius’ return and his history with Acacius, Lucilla is also likely concerned about the growing power of the two emperors, while Macrinus is considering what he stands to gain from one turning on the other. Meanwhile, the first image of Washington in Gladiator 2 shows just some of Macrinus’ wealth, which he wields to influence Rome’s future.

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Paul Mescal’s Fight Training & Transformation

Mescal underwent intense training to portray Lucius fighting in the Colosseum.

Maximus was driven by the single-minded goal of killing the emperor to avenge the deaths of his family, something which Lucilla, Commodus’ sister, is caught up in. On the other hand, Lucius is essentially angry at everyone in Rome — Acacius, Macrinus, his mother, the emperors — which is channeled into his fight scenes. For the combat sequences, Mescal trained extensively to build up physical strength and learn the necessary choreography. Mescal had this to say about his physical transformation (Vanity Fair):

“Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently […] It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.”

It explains how he looks vicious and battle-ready in every image featuring Lucius. In the sense of physical combat, he is primarily facing off against Pascal, who refers to Mescal as “Brick Wall Paul.” Pascal said: “He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again.” Pascal’s comments more than anything frame Mescal as playing a very intimidating, very threatening version of Lucius. Mescal will hopefully have as intense of a presence as Maximus, both physically and thematically, and that will again drive the story of violence and revenge.

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Mescal’s Lucius Wants To Destroy Rome – But May End Up Saving It

Lucius’ arc includes a complicated and changing perspective on the Roman Empire.

Overall, Lucius is disgusted by the state of Rome, while Mescal emphasizes the Empire’s brutal culture built on violent conquest. Mescal said: “He wants nothing to do with the image of Rome. He wants nothing to do with it other than to tear it apart initially.” However, Lucius’ story will also show him beginning to wonder if he could save Rome. The powerful, sprawling empire is fueled by destroying other nations and corrupt leadership, but Lucius is “unafraid of the establishment in a way that makes him dangerous to the establishment.”

This seems like a monumental task for Lucius to accomplish, especially when history already confirms that the Roman Empire will eventually crumble under its own power. Like Maximus, he is an underdog set against a force far more powerful than himself. More than that — Maximus was only dealing with Commodus, while Lucius will find himself in conflict with Acacius, Caracalla, Geta, and possibly Macrinus, although Caracalla historically killed Geta. However, the story is probably going to frame Lucius as the only one who can see a better version of Rome.

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Why Ridley Scott Had To Direct Gladiator 2 Himself

Scott returned to Gladiator because of personal elements in the story.

Scott expressed some regret about turning down some chances to direct sequels to his most famous movies, while he was passed over by studios for others, including Alien and Blade Runner. However, he was determined to direct Gladiator 2 himself when he saw some connections between his own life and the developing story. Scott compared Lucius’ attempts to salvage Rome with his own father’s experiences in Germany after World War II; following the end of the war, Scott moved from England to Germany with his father, who worked to remake the country with the Marshall Plan.

If this point is the crux of the story, then Scott’s personal experience is surely a valuable asset and the movie would not have been the same with another director. The ending of Maximus’ story almost implies the salvation of Rome, as he at least got rid of its current malevolent emperor. However, a long history of corruption can not be solved in one generation, which means Lucius’ story may also focus on his legacy and not just what he can personally accomplish in his lifetime.

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The Roman Empire’s Dominance Is Coming To An End In Gladiator 2

The state of the Roman Empire may facilitate or doom Lucius’ mission in Gladiator 2.

The fact that there are so many more major players grappling for power in Rome than in Gladiator is perhaps indicative of the empire’s crumbling state. However, this will probably be mostly represented by the rule of Caracalla and Geta in Gladitor 2:

“Their leadership is a harbinger of the end of centuries of Roman dominance in the ancient world, and Scott says they were a kind of reversal of the legend of two brothers [Romulus and Remus] raised by a wolf mother, who were said to be founders of Rome” (Breznican).

Not much is said about the historical rivalry between the two brothers, but Scott may have chosen to emphasize this less in favor of the twin threat of them both. Caracalla and Geta’s regime is as tyrannical as Commodus’, and they are not above threatening Lucilla to keep Acacius in line.

If Lucius and Acacius are representing different facets of Maximus’ legacy, then perhaps Caracalla and Geta do the same for Commodus. Meanwhile, Lucilla’s situation does not seem to have improved much, as she is still used as a tool by the emperor(s) to maintain control. Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) wanted to name Maximus his successor to avoid what he knew his son would become. This is something that may also be explored in Gladiator 2 as the characters navigate succession politics undercut with all-out warfare, for reasons that may be futile.

Source: Vanity Fair, history.com, Deadline