Gladiator II
Paul Mescal’sGladiator IIcharacter , Lucius , was previously featured in the originalGladiatormovie — but his father was given a different identity in the first movie than in the sequel . Set more than two decades afterthe firstGladiatorfilm , Gladiator IIsees Roman soldiers arriving at Lucius ’ homestead , killing his married woman , and forcing him into bondage . Inspired by Maximus ’ baronial crusade in the previous movie , Lucius decide to stay his time , work his means up the ranks as a gladiator , and gradually plot his retaliation against the Romans who require everything from him .
Lucius look in the firstGladiatormovie , but he was a pretty nonaged character . Originally played by Spencer Treat Clark , Lucius ’ rolein the original film was to ride his uncle Commodus mad with jealousy . Commodus require to be interpret as a badass , but his nephew rather hero-worship the victorious prizefighter Maximus . Lucius ’ father was identify inGladiator , butGladiator IIhas changed who his father was . The sequel ’s modification to Lucius ’ Padre ’s identity confirm a long - standing devotee theory about who his pappa really was all along .
Lucius' Father In Gladiator Is Lucilla’s Husband Lucius Verus
Lucius Was Named After His Supposed Father
One of the most excitingoriginalGladiatoractors returning for the sequelis Connie Nielsen , who reprises her persona as Lucilla . In the first movie , Lucilla was introduced as a former lover of Maximus , the babe of Commodus , and the old child of Marcus Aurelius . At the beginning of the movie , Lucilla has recently been widow . She turn down Commodus ’ incestuous advances and essay to keep her boy Lucius secure from her evil , irregular , and morally belly-up comrade . Lucius ’ father is enounce to be Lucilla ’s late husband , Lucius Verus , who the male child was named after .
Gladiator 2 Confirms Maximus Is Lucius' Real Father
Maximus Fathered His Own Biggest Fan
Thetrailer forGladiator IIcame with the surprise revealing thatLucius was in reality mother by his favorite fighter , Maximus . Despite being led to conceive that his begetter was Lucius Verus I throughout his intact living , Lucius is actually the materialisation of his mother ’s on - and - off lover , Maximus . The trailer shows Lucilla extradite the shocking newsworthiness to her son as he prepares for a lethal battle in the Colosseum . This bombshell completely recontextualizesLucius ’ journeying in the subsequence . He ’s not just some new role emulate Maximus ’ fictitious character arc in a stealth remake ; he ’s follow in his father ’s footstep , almost like fortune .
Gladiator IIwill be release in theatre on November 22 .
In an consultation withEntertainment Weekly , Mescal revealed that he cognise about this paternal turn before he even signed on to asterisk in the sequel . In his early discussions with director Ridley Scott , Mescal was told that Lucius was the outlaw son of Maximus . However , despite having been told about the bend before read the script , Mescal found it to be “ an affronting matter ” when he really saw it compose on the page . He said that having “ that responsibleness fall on your shoulder ” made him interested in playing the case and digging into his outlook .
The relationship between Maximus Decimus Meridius and Lucius Verus is one that has undergone some growing with the release of Gladiator II .
By confirm that Lucius is Maximus ’ Word , Gladiator IIhas made Lucius a much more significant figure in theGladiatoruniverse . Previously , he was just the son of some persona who never even appeared on - screen ; his namesake died before the events of the celluloid . But now , he ’s the confirmed heir to the hero of the original motion-picture show . The pick to concenter the sequel around Lucius now makes a lot more sensory faculty , because he ’s a direct descendent of the main quality from the first picture show .
Why Gladiator Didn’t Confirm Maximus Is Lucius' Father
It Was More Interesting To Leave It Ambiguous
The originalGladiatorfilm did n’t confirm whether Maximus was Lucius ’ real father , because it was more interesting to leave it ambiguous . The picture show plant plenty of seeds to intimate that Lucius was bring forth by Maximus , but it never make it prescribed . Rather than providing a clear answer as to Lucius ’ parentage , Gladiatorleaves it up to individual viewers to make up one’s mind who Lucius ’ father is . If it gave away the resolution , there would be no elbow room for discussion . But by planting those seeds , it allowed audiences to moot it and take up their own decision .
WhenGladiator IIpicks up , Lucius dwell in a coastal townsfolk in Numidia and has had no contact with his mother for around 15 eld .
Gladiatormakes it clear that Maximus and Lucilla were lover in the past times , and pull up stakes it equivocal as to when they broke off their affair ( and whether it overlapped with her marriage to her recent husband , Lucius ’ suppose Fatherhood ) . Maximus and Lucius partake a sweet mo that suggests Lucius look up to Maximus . There was nothing in these scenes that made it explicit that Maximus was Lucius ’ begetter , but the hints were certainly there . hearing picked up on those tip , discuss the possibility of Maximus being Lucius ’ real father , andit became a fairly dominant buff theory that he was .
When it came time to make a Lucius - centric subsequence , Scott had to affirm Lucius ’ paternity one way or the other . This is an inauspicious side effect of sequels ; they have to provide unequivocal answers to the ambiguous elements of their predecessors .
When it come clip to make a Lucius - centric sequel , Scott had to reassert Lucius ’ paternityone way or the other . This is an inauspicious side effect of sequel ; they have to provide definitive answers to the ambiguous elements of their predecessors . French Connection IIhad to confirm what bump after Popeye Doyle chamfer Alain Charnier off - screen door in the original picture ’s iconic terminal view . Jokercreated the feeling that some — or maybe even all — of the movie had occupy place in Arthur Fleck ’s delusional nous , butJoker : Folie à Deuxhad to confirm how much of the movie was real .
What Gladiator 2 Changing Lucius' Father Means
It Means The Sequel Has A More Direct Connection To The Original
By change Lucius ’ father to Maximus , Gladiator IIhas hand itself a more lineal connection to the original film . The originalGladiatormovie told the level of Maximus rising through the gladiatorial social status to exact retaliation against the Roman Empire , andnow , Gladiator IIwill recount the story of Maximus ’ son go up through the gladiatorial social station to exact revenge against the Roman Empire . This make a direct line between the first and secondGladiatorfilms , like the unmediated line between Luke and Anakin Skywalker ’s journey in theStar Warssaga .
If Lucius was really the Logos of Lucius Verus , then theGladiatorsequel would only have a digressive connection to the original moving picture . It would just be a rehash of the first movie with new characters in the original characters ’ place , whereasGladiator IIfeels a morsel more organic as it shows Maximus ’ son be in his father ’s footsteps . He ’s not just charting the same journeying as Maximus;he ’s directly inspired by his father ’s own vengeful drive . With its change to Lucius ’ father , Gladiator IIfeels more like a true continuation than a flaccid remake .
seed : Entertainment Weekly
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.
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Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow - up to Ridley Scott ’s award - winning film Gladiator from 2000 . Scott returns to aim the subsequence , with Paul Mescal star as Lucius , alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta . Gladiator 2 had been amaze in development hell for years before a book written by David Scarpa finally move forward .
