Notice! This article contains spoilers for Gladiator 2.
Gladiator 2The finale ends the sequence with the expected sword fights, battles in the Colosseum and political machinations, but not without some family help closing the film. Gladiator 2The cast of characters is led by Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus, who begins the film under the pseudonym Hanno. After having his home destroyed by the Roman army, Lucius becomes involved in the world of gladiatorial combat, echoing the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius that ended with Gladiatorthe emotional ending.
Throughout the film, Lucius – one of many Gladiator characters based on real people – relies on his true heritage as grandson of Marcus Aurelius and son of Maximus. Instead of burying his head in the sand and remaining content with enacting furious revenge, Lucius embraces his family connections and begins to fight for the good of Rome through the Colosseum, epic fight scenes, and strong performances that contributed to Gladiator 2′s positive reviews. At the time of Gladiator 2′In the end, Lucius’ destiny is altered, an Empire is changed forever, and a lasting legacy lives on.
Whose hand is that in the final scene of Gladiator 2?
Maximus’ legacy looms large at the end of Gladiator 2
In the final scene of Gladiator 2, Lucius returns to an empty Colosseum, just as Djimon Hounsou’s Juba did in Gladiator. Lucius kneels in the sand as the purple sky above him signifies the dawn of a new Rome, asking his father, Maximus, to speak to him. As Lucius does this, the film shows a familiar scene from Gladiator of a hand grazing the stalks of grain fields.
Máximo’s dreams in GladiatorThe film’s ending had him traveling to Elysium, the happy Roman afterlife, to reunite with his deceased wife and son. These scenes were shown again in Gladiator 2Lucius’ ending signals that Maximus’ legacy lives on. Maximus’ character is summed up in both films by an iconic Gladiator line: “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” Maximus fought for what was right, allowing him to peacefully depart into eternity via Elysium. Lucius now intends to do the same, with the flashes of his father’s hand typifying this in Gladiator 2is ending.
Lucius becomes the prince of Rome, fulfilling his destiny
Lúcio’s intention to continue Máximo’s beliefs and fight for what is right is summarized in the conclusion of his character arc. Unlike Maximus, who died as a gladiator, Lucius transcends Roman slavery and assumes his rightful place as the true ruler of the Roman Empire. GladiatorThe historical accuracy of Rome is often questioned, but the idea of Roman emperors being chosen by a multitude of methods – from cruel manipulations to lineage or being chosen by the Senate – is often consistent with history.
In Gladiator 2At the end of Lucius, Lucius stakes his claim on Rome through the connection he maintains with Gladiatorelderly cast member, Marco Aurélio. Lucius is the grandson of the former emperor and, despite hiding his lineage for much of his life, he reveals this fact in Gladiator 2is ending. The film’s climax finds Lucius’ Macrinus and Denzel Washington caught between two armies: the Roman legions and the praetorian guard. The Roman army was already loyal to Lucius thanks to Pedro Pascal’s general Acacius and the revelation of the former’s inheritance, but the praetorian guard was in the service of Macrinus.
Lucius is at the head of the two armies after defeating Macrinus and proclaims himself prince of Rome. This allows the wavering praetorian guard to follow Lucius as the new ruler of Rome. After spending decades hiding from his fate, Lucius finally becomes what he was always destined to be and tries to start his grandfather’s dream of Rome..
How Lucius manages to restore the dream of Rome
Marco Aurélio and Máximo live through Lúcio
The dream of Rome is mentioned at length in both Gladiator and Gladiator 2. This dream began with Marcus Aurelius and was the ideal that Rome would eventually stop being ruled by emperors with conflicting ideologies, beliefs and temperaments.and instead be governed by the people. This dream is linked to the real world’s systems of dictatorships and republics, with Marcus Aurelius wishing that Rome was last, something that Lúcio somehow manages to achieve in Gladiator 2is ending.
This power could lead Lúcio to establish a republic, finally completing the dream that began with Marcus Aurelius…
Having taken his place as prince of Rome, Lucius now holds the power to make Marcus Aurelius’s dream – and, by extension, Maximus’s – a reality. Lucius has power over the Roman people, the Roman army and the praetorian guard due to the deaths of Gladiator 2the two Roman emperors and the intriguing Macrinus. This power could cause Lucius to instill a republic, finally completing the dream that began with Marcus Aurelius, for which Maximus fought and shaped the entire history of Gladiator 2.
What do Lucilla’s death and arrow mean
Another character who believed in Rome’s dream was Lucilla, mother of Lúcio and daughter of Marcus Aurelius. In Gladiator 2In Lucilla’s final act, however, Lucilla is tragically killed. In an attempt to secure his power by turning the Roman people against the remaining twin emperor, Caracalla, Macrinus arranges Lucilla’s execution in the Colosseum. Lucilla’s death means that the Roman people lose all faith in Caracalla and Geta, despite both being killed due to Macrinus’ machinations.
Furthermore, Lucilla’s death – specifically the cause of this event – has greater symbolic significance. All over Gladiator 2Lucius is shown holding an arrow shaft, ripped from the projectile that killed his wife in the film’s opening. This arrow was a symbol of Lucius’ quest for revenge, fueling him in his desire to kill Acácio. However, Lucilla is killed by an arrow fired by Macrinus, meaning that he – or, more appropriately, men like him – must have been the object of Lucius’ quest all along.
Acácio reveals himself as someone who does not like war despite waging it, only doing so to protect Lucilla from the madness of Caracalla and Geta. The final act reveals this, while also showing Macrinus as Gladiator 2is the real villain. Lucilla’s skewered arrow reminds Lucius that Acacius was never someone he should have despised, but that it is Macrinus who needs to die to guarantee Rome’s democratic future, connecting us again to the arrow Gladiator 2The protagonist recovered from his wife’s corpse.
How the ending of Gladiator 2 is similar to Gladiator 1
Both Films Use Similar Plot Points
Since the trailers for Ridley Scott’s 2024 sequel were released, Gladiator 2 has been dubbed a stealth remake of its predecessor. While the first one includes enough new elements to be a sequel, there’s no denying that it uses a lot of similar elements from the original. Gladiatorespecially those that proved effective in 2000. The end of Gladiator 2 proves this by being closely linked to the final moments of Gladiator. For example, as Lucius talks about the dream of Rome, the iconic song “Now We Are Free” starts playing.
This song can be heard while Lúcio kneels in the Coliseum, just like in the first film, when Juba does the same. Gladiator 2The final scene of Maximus is also the aforementioned scene of Maximus brushing grain stalks as he reunites with his family, which is one of the last scenes in the original film. Overall, these similarities are used to convey the thematic similarities between Gladiator and Gladiator 2reinforcing the idea that both films are about legacy, honor, sacrifice and fighting for what is right.
Does Gladiator 2 Set Up a Third Film?
The last big question arising Gladiator 2The ending is whether it sets up a third film in the franchise. Although many did not believe Gladiator 2 It was even necessary, the film’s strong international opening weekend and good reviews prove that a return to Ridley Scott’s version of Rome is welcome. With this in mind, a trilogy could be crafted from some seeds planted in Gladiator 2as well as comments from Scott himself to the French film magazine Debut.
Scott’s idea stems from his love for The godfatherwith Gladiator 2Francis Ford Coppola’s ending echoes the iconic film series; Lucius is now in a position he didn’t originally want. Lucius took up his father and grandfather’s legacy and became the prince of Rome, and although he is committed to doing what is right, this is not a position he initially wanted for himself. This allows Gladiator 2Lucius’ ending teases a sequel, with the third film potentially exploring Lucius’ quest to realize Rome’s dream and the problems with fulfilling that legacy.