Includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Gladiator 2!
Gladiator 2 is the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s Best Picture-winning Ancient Rome epic and the film takes many of its elements from the original film. It is typical of modern sequences, whether Alien: Romulus or Beetle juice Beetle juiceto pay homage to the original films of their respective franchises, even when the original director is involved in making them. Ridley Scott returned to the world of Gladiator more than two decades after the original, and despite Gladiator 2 new cast, the film does not hesitate to emulate the first film.
Gladiator 2 follows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), the youngest son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) from the first film, who was expelled from Rome after the death of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Feeling betrayed by his mother for sending him away, Lucius comes to resent the Roman Empire and, instead of returning to the city, lives with a wife in Numidia, on the north coast of Africa. Eventually, fate comes calling, and Lucius goes through an arc very similar to that of Maximus (Russell Crowe) in the original. Leading to Gladiator 2 In the end, there are countless similarities.
10
Gladiator 2 begins with a Roman conquest battle sequence
Rome invades new territories at the beginning of both films
The original Gladiator film opens with Maximus leading a campaign against the Germanic tribes in the name of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The sequence is epic and proves why Gladiator is one of the best old war films, but it is also vital in establishing Maximus as a hardened, fearless, and inspiring leader to his men. He counts on the loyalty of his troops, while Commodus arrives late to the campaign and loses the war.
Similarly, in Gladiator 2the film begins with a naval invasion of Numidia. General Acácio (Pedro Pascal) leads the Roman war front. Unlike the original, the film’s main protagonist, Lucius, is on the defense, fighting the Romans alongside his wife. She is killed in the conflict and he is knocked out and taken prisoner of war by Roman forces, beginning the events of the film.
9
Lúcio loses his wife and wants revenge against Rome
Lucius and Maximus lose their wives because of Rome
A significant part Arch of Maximus in Gladiator is that he is fighting for revenge against Commodus. After the death of Marcus Aurelius, Maximus intends to assume the throne, but Commodus takes control and becomes emperor. He tries to kill Maximus, murders his wife and destroys his house. Maximus believes he has no purpose in life before realizing that, through the gladiatorial games in the Colosseum, he can rebel and defeat his enemy.
Years later, in Gladiator 2, Lucius’ wife is killed in the film’s opening battle. Although he only gave the command, Acácio is responsible for her death, and Lúcio targets him for revenge. In Lúcio’s case, he finally decides not to kill Acácio, as he ends up learning more about him and realizing that he is not his true enemy. Acacius may have ordered his wife’s death, but it was a death in war, not murder.
8
Lucius becomes a slave and gains prominence as a gladiator
Lucius and Maximus follow the same narrative arc
After the death of his wife in GladiatorMaximus almost gives up on everything until he is bought by Proximo (Oliver Reed). Proximo explains to him that he can conquer Rome by winning over the crowd and continues to thrive as a gladiator in combat arenas. He is later taken to the Colosseum in Rome, where Maximus manages to defend his fellow gladiators against insurmountable odds, winning over the public.
In Gladiator 2Lucius is spotted by Macrinus (Denzel Washington) when he kills a rabid monkey in an arena fight. Macrinus buys him and begins using his talent to win bets against Senator Thraex (Tim McInnerny). Macrinus and Lucio’s goals align as they both have an agenda in Romeand Macrinus promises his young protégé the head of General Acácio if he continues to win fights for him.
7
Corrupt and immature emperors rule in Rome
Caracalla and Geta are Commodus from Gladiator 2
Joaquin Phoenix is masterful in Gladiatorplaying the despicable villain Commodus. He is the classic example of a spoiled, insane, and corrupt Roman emperor who was elevated to the throne. He is bored with politics, has no respect for anyone but himself, doesn’t care about common people, and is sexually attracted to his sister. It’s difficult to imagine a worse leader than this, which makes him the perfect foil for Maximus, who manages to shift the balance of power away from him.
Fifteen years later, the Twin emperors, Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), rule Rome. Once again, they show very little interest in the common people who make up their empire, with Acacius pointing out that their citizens are not being well fed. Instead of worrying about this issue, they insist that Acácio continues to invade new territories for them, as they want their legacy to consider them as conquerors.
6
A former slave turned gladiator owner becomes the hero’s mentor
Macrinus is next with a villainous touch
Proximo is Maximus’ mentor in the original Gladiator film. He himself was a gladiator before the events of the film and gained enough wealth to buy his freedom. He is as familiar with brutality but also the potential for glory as anyone, which makes him the perfect man to help Maximus win over the people of Rome. Later, he ends up dying in Máximo’s name. In Gladiator 2this role is fulfilled by Macrinus, although there is a major twist.
Instead of being an ally of Lucius, Macrinus gains the favor of the emperors until he is close enough to kill them and take power for himself.
Macrinus ends up being the villain of the long-awaited sequel, as if his and Lucius’ goals aligned for a while, Macrinus only intends to serve himself. Instead of being an ally of Lucius, Macrinus gains the favor of the emperors until he is close enough to kill them and take power for himself. Before the events of the film, Macrinus was a slave of Marcus Aurelius and he mentors Lucius as a bid to quickly gain power in Rome.
5
Lucilla helps Lucius and Maximus by betraying the emperors
Lucilla plays a similar role in both gladiator films
In both films, Lucilla plays a similar role as she tries to help the hero against the emperor. In the first film, she is disloyal to Cômodus, secretly going to meet Máximo at night, doing her best to help him. Like your father, Lucilla’s main goal is to create a unified and idealistic Romewhich naturally pits her against the corrupt tyrants of both films.
In Gladiator 2she works against Caracalla and Geta by helping Acácio and Lúcio. Before she even realizes that her son is alive and in Rome, she attempts to overthrow the emperors with Acacius’ military strength, as his rampant corruption is driving Rome to self-destruction. Upon realizing that Lucius is alive, she goes to visit him in his cage, just as she visits Maximus in the original film. In doing so, she convinces Lucius to fight not just for revenge, but for the dream of Marcus Aurelius of Rome.
4
Acácio is a general who hopes to stop fighting and return to his wife
Acacius is also very similar to Maximus
In many ways, the character of Máximo is divided into Lúcio and Acácio, with Pedro Pascal’s character being the film’s biggest X-factor. Trailers and first scenes pit him against Lucius, but It quickly becomes clear that he is not an antagonist and actually has a lot in common with Maximus. In his opening scene with Caracalla and Geta, he asks him to resign as General to live out his days with his wife.
Acacius is a talented general and respected leader among the Roman army, but he is not interested in bloodshed. He wants what’s best for Rome, but he doesn’t believe that colonizing territories is what the empire needs, and he doesn’t like working for the glory of two corrupt leaders. Acácio’s main objective is to resign and live in peace with Lucilabut the only way to do this is to free yourself from the emperors.
3
Acacius plans to use his men’s loyalty to take back Rome from the emperors
Acácio and Máximo had a similar plan to take control
Another point in common between Acacius and Maximus is how they plan to retake Rome. Acácio reveals that he has an army of 5,000 men stationed in Ostiathe western port of Rome, a short distance from the city. These men are loyal to him, specifically, and will follow him even if it means going against the emperors of Rome, as Acacius is the one who led them and fought with them in battle.
Lucius sends Marcus Aurelius’ ring to bring Acacius’ army to Rome in his name, and the force marches to the gates of Rome for the film’s climax.
In GladiatorMaximus had a legion of equally loyal soldiers awaiting his orders, which he hoped to use to retake Rome from Commodus. Unfortunately, Maximus is captured when he tries to escape, and his army is never able to help him, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. After Acacius dies, Lucius sends Marcus Aurelius’ ring to bring Acacius’ army to Rome in his name, and the force marches to the gates of Rome for the film’s climax.
2
Gladiator 2 uses several quotes from the original film
Many of Maximus’ most iconic quotes are used
In addition to using narrative beats from the original film Gladiator 2 It has several direct references to the first film in the form of quotes. Maximum has a shrine beneath the Colosseum that says: “What we do in life echoes in eternity“, referring to the quote from his battle speech at the beginning of the first film. Your other slogan, “Strength and honor”, is repeated by several characters in the sequence and used as a chant by the gladiators before their final battle.
At one point in the film, Lucius says he will not be Macrinus’s subject “in this life or the nextt“recalling Máximo’s monologue from the first film, when he reveals his face to Cômodus in the arena. When revealing to Lúcio that Máximo was his father, Lucilla also states:”His name was Maximus Decimus Meridius,” with remarkably similar phrasing to the same scene in the first film.
1
Lucius becomes a leader among the gladiators
Lucius unites his fellow gladiators just like his father
Maximus is a natural leader in Gladiatorwhich is a big part of what makes him such a compelling protagonist. Everyone around him seems to love and admire him, from the Roman legions to his fellow slaves at the gladiator games. When Maximus leads the gladiators, and they all survive, they realize that by remaining by his side, they will have a better chance of winning and gaining their freedom.
Lucius may not want to be a leader in Gladiator 2but wherever he goes, he is respected by the men around him. In Numidia he prepares a battle speech before the battle against the Romans. With the gladiators, He quickly becomes the leader in and out of the arena, helping everyone stay alive using battle tactics. Finally, at the end of the film, he gains the respect of the Roman legions after killing Macrinus.