Denzel Washington teased the dark side of his Gladiator II character, Macrinus, implying how he gained so much power and why he wants more. The next Gladiator II centers on an older Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), who seeks revenge against Emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn) after Roman soldiers invade Numidia and kill his wife. After being captured by the Empire, he becomes a gladiator, being taught by Macrinus, who has his own ambitions for power in the Roman Empire.
Talking to Screen speech, Washington explained the dark side of Macrinus that will be revealed in Gladiator IIprompting a difficult upbringing that made him more covertly politically astute. He also mentions several times what he’s like”in bed with the devil”, teasing that this emphasizes his resolve to achieve everything he can. It also means that he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if it means manipulating situations to benefit himself. Check out what Washington had to say below:
We don’t have enough time for all this, but it came the hard way. The long way, the slow way. And he knows how to work from behind, from the back of the room. He is in bed with the devil and wants to dominate, destroy and possess everything and everyone.
He made a decision. He went to bed with the dark side. He wants to dominate, control the entire empire, and he will use anyone to do so and will do anything to get what he wants.
What Washington’s statement means for Macrinus in Gladiator 2
Lucius’ mentor may have secrets of his own
Of all the characters in Gladiator II, Macrinus is one of the most central, his guidance from Lucius to help him in his quest for revenge parallel to his own.. Although the arms dealer’s full story has yet to be revealed, his quest to usurp the Twin Emperors indicates a dark past that pushed him towards the actions he takes. He not only trains gladiators, but also offers food and oil to European armies, indicating that he profits from Rome’s war and that he wants the conflict to benefit his personal agenda.
In terms of the actual historical figure Gladiator IIWhat Macrinus is based on, he sought power in the same way as his on-screen version, orchestrating events to come to power. However, it’s unclear how much of the story will be accurate to Ridley Scott’s filmwhich means there may be some liberties taken with his character to offer him a darker side than the story shows. What this means is unclear, but Washington’s words could signal a secret that his character keeps and that no one knows about yet.
Our opinion on Macrinus’ dark side in Gladiator 2
He won’t be a noble hero
Although Macrinus plays an important role in Lucius’ development as a gladiator, it doesn’t seem like he will be a noble hero trying to save Rome. Instead, we believe Gladiator II will put you in a gray area, someone who is trying to overthrow tyrannical rulers, but who is, to some extent, also a tyrant. While it’s unclear how his character will develop throughout the film, he could deliver some major surprises throughout its twisty plot.