Gladiator 2 Has Already Made The Original’s Dramatic Ending Completely Pointless

While Gladiator 2 is a highly anticipated release in 2024, its existence does change a few things for the original 2000 film, including its incredibly dramatic ending. Set to be released on November 22, 2024, Gladiator 2 is the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s hit historical epic movie, Gladiator. It stars Paul Mescal as Lucius who, since the end of Gladiator, has grown into an adult in the wilderness and is now returning to Rome after 15 years. Other members of Gladiator 2’s cast include Pedro Pascal, Barry Keoghan, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen. Ridley Scott will return as director.

Although Gladiator 2 is a direct sequel to 2000’s Gladiator, there are parts of the first movie that the sequel will have to go back on. Namely, the mere existence of Gladiator 2 implies that the end of Gladiator is not as complete as it once seemed. Storylines must be reopened, and characters reignited. One major part of this is Rome’s ending. At the end of Gladiator, Maximus kills Commodus, bringing peace to Rome, which can return to being a republic. However, the plot of Gladiator 2 seemingly goes back on this promise.

Gladiator 2’s Emperor Caracalla Breaks The Original’s Republic Promise

Caracalla’s existence means Rome is not a republic in Gladiator 2

Although the end of Gladiator promises that Rome will now be a republic again, Gladiator 2 is seemingly going back on this promise. In the new sequel movie, Rome is being led by co-emperors Caracalla and Geta, and according to Roman history, Carcalla quickly becomes a tyrant. It seems likely that Gladiator 2 will depict Carcalla killing his brother and co-emperor Geta, and stealing the throne for himself. Soon after, he will likely cause disruption throughout the Roman Empire by ordering massacres throughout the region, and simply by being a selfish and hands-off emperor.

In this way, Gladiator 2 is rewriting the ending of the original movie. Despite all the fuss Gladiator made about the Roman republic, it will no longer be true. In fact, upon Gladiator 2’s release, the final scenes of Gladiator may not feel as optimistic or satisfactory because audiences will now know that the victory does not last. Although Maximus kills Commodus, yet another cruel leader will rise up and take power in Caracalla. This offers a reason for Gladiator 2 to be made, but in the process, it is changing a movie that came out over twenty years ago.

Gladiator 2 Featuring Another Emperor Reflects Real History

Caracalla was a true Roman tyrant

Despite the fact that Gladiator 2 is going back on Gladiator’s promises, this change reflects real history.

After Commodus’ reign ended in 192 AD, several men briefly became the emperor until, eventually, in 198, Caracalla became co-ruler with his father, Septimius Severus, and later, his brother Geta in 209. In 211, Caracalla ordered his brother to be killed, and for the next six years, he reigned as Rome’s sole emperor. Like Commodus, he was a brutal and unkind ruler.

It is unclear how much real history Gladiator 2 is going to use when it comes to Caracalla. If Lucius returns fifteen years after the end of Gladiator, then it can be assumed that the film takes place in 207. This is approximately the time when Geta joins Caracalla as co-emperor, but is a few years from his execution and Carcalla’s rise as dictator. In this way, Gladiator 2 may be more vague about its historical accuracy. It seems likely that the movie will focus more heavily on Carcaralla’s more violent tendencies than his creation of a new Roman currency.

Gladiator 2’s Set-Up Makes Gladiator’s Ending Worse

Gladiator 2 ruins Gladiator’s happy ending

Unfortunately, for Gladiator 2 to exist, the first Gladiator’s ending needs to not only be changed, but made worse. As previously mentioned, Gladiator 2 forms a dark cloud over the ending of Gladiator. Where it once was a very joyful and satisfying ending to a difficult historical epic, now it is just the calm before an even bigger storm. As audiences see the Romans celebrating the newly freed republic, they will know that this happiness won’t last. Caracalla is coming, and he may be even worse than Commodus. Sadly, this makes Maximus’ journey less important than it once seemed.

Ultimately though, making Gladiator 2 is worth the ripple effect. While Gladiator is a truly iconic movie, and one of the great historical epics, changing its ending is a small price to pay for what could be another incredible movie. Although Ridley Scott has high expectations to reach with Gladiator 2, there is already hope that he will succeed due to the film’s star-studded cast. Hopefully, this sequel can be so outstanding that the effects it has on its predecessor don’t matter in the slightest.