Summary
Denzel Washington’sGladiator IIrole echoes a storyline from the original movie, making the actor’s character a perfect replacement for one of the 2000 movie’s most memorable personalities. Directed by Ridley Scott,Gladiator 2is a sequel to the filmmaker’s Oscar-winningGladiator. While the first film followed Russell Crowe’s Maximus, a betrayed Roman general-turned-gladiator,Gladiator 2centers on Lucius (Paul Mescal). A former heir to the Roman Empire,Lucius becomes a gladiator only after general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades his homeunder the rule of co-emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn).
AnyGladiator 2cast and character guidewill reiterate that legacy is a key part of the sequel. After all,Lucius is the grandson of Rome’s former emperor, Marcus Aurelius(Richard Harris), who was murdered by his power-hungry son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) at the beginning ofGladiator. Marcus Aurelius' death is what prompts Maximus' entire story arc. Needless to say, the ramifications of Commodus' actions are still shaping his descendants' lives decades later. However, Lucius is far from the onlyGladiator 2character who echoes someone from Scott’s original film — case in point being Denzel Washington’s character, Macrinus.
Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Character Can Fulfill The Role Of Proximo
Macrinus Is A Sponsor Of Gladiators In Ridley Scott’s Sequel
…there’s no denying the parallels between Washington’s character and Reed’s gladiator trainer.
With both Lucius andMarcus Acacius, Pedro Pascal’sGladiator 2character, pushed into being gladiators for various reasons, it’s pretty clear how and why Macrinus figures into the story. Still, there’s no denying the parallels between Washington’s character and Reed’s gladiator trainer. In the original film, Proximo enslaves warriors like Maximus and Juba (Djimon Hounsou), Maximus' ally, and even reveals that he was freed from being enslaved as a gladiator by the late Marcus Aurelius. InGladiator 2,Washington’s Macrinus is an arms dealer with a stable of gladiators, making his character the perfect Proximo replacement from a narrative standpoint.
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Will Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Character End Up Helping Paul Mescal’s Lucius?
Macrinus Also Has Reason To Hate Gladiator 2’s Co-Emperors
Gladiator’s Proximo really can’t be considered a good person. Although he mentors Maximus and Juba and aids their revenge quest, he also enslaves the men. According toVanity Fair, Washington’sGladiator 2character is considered “cruel” by his own stable-full of gladiators. A formerly enslaved person himself,Macrinus grows his power by leveraging the same corrupt system that harmed himin the first place. While Macrinus is described as having a grudge against the emperors, he seems more like a secondary antagonist. Of course, Macrinus might have a change of heart and aid Lucius beforeGladiator 2’s credits roll.
Gladiator IIis slated for a July 19, 2025 theatrical release.
Gladiator II
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
