Pedro Pascal contains his dominance in Hollywood with Gladiator 2, the long-anticipated sequel to the 2000 epic historical drama movie starring Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius. Pascal’s role was a bit of a mystery in the months leading up to the 2024 film’s premiere (which is scheduled for November 22, 2024). However, Paramount Pictures has finally released some information about who Pascal is playing, including his character’s name and his interesting history with a couple of important figures from the first Gladiator movie.

Ridley Scott returned to direct Gladiator 2 after helming the original 24 years ago, while David Scarpa wrote the script. The idea of a sequel to Gladiator was tossed around in the years following its release. Unfortunately, disagreements about the story and Paramount Pictures’ acquisition of DreamWorks Pictures (which owned the rights to Gladiator) halted any sort of progress on the sequel. It wasn’t until 2017 that reports about a potential second movie began spreading again, and Paramount officially greenlit the project in November 2018. Pascal was officially cast in Gladiator 2 in May 2023 but details surrounding his role weren’t disclosed (until now).

Pedro Pascal’s Gladiator 2 Character Is A General Called Acacius

Pascal Decribes Acacius As A “Very Good Killer”

Pedro Pascal is set to star as Marcus Acacius, a formidable Roman general and gladiator, in Gladiator 2. The 2024 epic historical drama reportedly begins with Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus (played by Spencer Treat Clark in the first movie), who hasn’t seen his mother, Lucilla, in 15 years, living in Numidia (located in Northwest Africa) with his wife and child. However, the Romans are starting to invade Africa and steal the land from the natives, and Pascal’s Acacius is presiding over the fleet’s occupation, which doesn’t make Lucius very happy, of course.

While speaking with Vanity Fair, director Ridley Scott teased Pascal’s role in Gladiator 2. He revealed that Acacius is “a man in deep regret with his life and doesn’t know where to go with it.” Meanwhile, Pascal went into further detail about his character’s motivations and attributes during the Vanity Fair feature. Pascal explained:

“I think that a lot happens before you can stop and question what you’ve done. And then, of course, there’s no changing it. [Acacius is] a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer.”

Based on updates about Pascal’s character in Gladiator 2, Acacius is seemingly someone who acts before he thinks, possibly making him a danger to others (especially Lucius) in the sequel. When Acacius first arrives in Numidia, he encounters Lucius, and it’s apparent from the get-go that the two couldn’t be more different. The relationship between the two men is reportedly terrible from the beginning, as Acacius is the one leading the charge in Numidia and captures Lucius as a prisoner of war. Acacius and Lucius then return to Rome, where they learn they are connected more than they previously thought.

Pedro Pascal’s Acacius Was Trained By Maximus – Was He In Gladiator?

Acacius Existed Offscreen In Gladiator

Gladiator 2 director Ridley Scott made it his mission to connect the sequel to the original in more ways than one, and he did so when crafting Marcus Acacius’ backstory. The Roman general was previously trained by Maximus Decimus Meridius, famously played by Russell Crowe in 2000’s Gladiator, who won’t return in the sequel. Pedro Pascal didn’t appear in the first film, and neither did Acacius, but the new character’s history with Maximus is baked into the second movie’s story.

Acacius was a junior officer who served under Maximus before his death at the end of Gladiator, and despite his connection with Crowe’s heroic character, Acacius existed offscreen and was never mentioned or seen until Gladiator 2. Nevertheless, Acacius’ past with Maximus is seemingly a significant factor in the man he became after his mentor’s death. When asked about the interesting connection between Acacius and Maximus in the 2024 movie, Pascal said:

“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, his code of honor 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.”

Pascal’s Acacius Has History With Lucius & Is In A Relationship With Lucilla

Paul Mescal Plays Lucius In Gladiator 2

Not only is Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius connected with Maximus from the first film, but he is also tied to the main character of Gladiator 2, Lucius Verus, by virtue of Lucius’ mother, Lucilla. When Acacius and Lucius return to Rome, Lucius is forced to fight, and when he gets into the arena for the first time, he’s shocked to see his mother in the audience. But what surprises Lucius even more is that Lucilla is sitting next to Acacius as the two are together romantically.

Lucius, who hasn’t seen his mother in many years, isn’t sure if Lucilla is alive or dead until he sees her in Rome in the Gladiator sequel. While Lucius recognizes his mother, Lucilla doesn’t initially identify the worn-down man as her son. However, it’s only a matter of time before Lucilla connects the dots, leading to tension between her, Acacius, and Lucius. Lucilla’s son and her lover seemingly despise one another and regard the world very differently, and it’ll be interesting to see how the drama plays out, but Acacius and Lucius will surely fight more than once throughout Gladiator 2.

Is Pedro Pascal’s Acacius Based On A Real Person?

Acacius Is Seemingly A Fictional Character Made For Gladiator 2

Based on early information about Pedro Pascal’s character in the Gladiator sequel, Marcus Acacius is not inspired by a real person, unlike many of the other figures in the film. Director Ridley Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa likely crafted Acacius and his backstory for the sake of the 2024 epic historical drama since no one important in Roman history was named Marcus Acacius. So, similar to Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator, Pascal’s Acacius is a fictional character who was partially based on several real Roman generals and gladiators.

Meanwhile, Lucilla was a real woman who was the second daughter of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and had a son named Lucius Verus. The co-emperors in the sequel — Joseph Quinn’s Geta and Fred Hechinger’s Caracalla — were also real Roman leaders. At the end of the day, though, Gladiator 2‘s story is mostly rooted in fiction.

Source: Vanity Fair