Summary
Russell Crowe shares his feelings aboutGladiator 2being made without him. Released in 2000, Ridley Scott’sGladiatorfeatured Crowe in the lead role as Maximus, a Roman general who is sold into slavery before becoming a hero of the gladiatorial arena. The film was a critical and commercial hit, and Scott is now set to return to that same world with hisupcomingGladiator 2, which follows Paul Mescal’s Lucius on a new journey years after Maximus' death.
In a recent interview withKyle Meredith With…, Crowe reveals thatGladiator 2happening without him makes him feel “slightly uncomfortable.”
While the actor is careful to not get into too many specifics regarding what he knows about the new film, he admits to feeling protective of the character of Maximus and that story, and how it could be treated in the sequel. Check out Crowe’s full comment below:
“I’m slightly uncomfortable, the fact that they’re making another one, you know? Because of course, I’m dead, and I have no say in what gets done. A couple of things that I’ve heard, I’m like, ‘No, no, no. That’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But you know, I can’t say anything. That’s not my place. I’m six feet under. So we’ll see what that is like.”
“I reflect back on the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it and the doors that particular movie opened for me. So there’s definitely a tinge — and this is just being purely honest —a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy. Because I remember when I had tendons.”
How Maximus' Legacy Can Live On In Gladiator 2
What’s Been Revealed About The Sequel’s Story
Maximus ultimately dies at theend ofGladiatorafter exacting his revenge on Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Ideas for a sequel were kicked around for years before Scott’sGladiator 2landed on its current, Lucius-focused story, and at least one of these ideas involved Maximus being resurrected and fighting in various battles throughout world history. While Crowe’s performance as Maximus is iconic, it’s probably for the best that he’s not returning in the sequel.
Just because Crowe isn’t reprising his role as Maximus in theGladiator 2cast, however, doesn’t mean his character’s actions from the first film won’t echo through the sequel’s story. Lucius was featured in the original film (played by Spencer Treat Clarke), and he watched Maximus' final battle against Commodus play out in the Colosseum. These events surely had an effect on him, and it’s perhaps why he chose to go off on his own inGladiator 2, leaving his life among the Roman elite behind.
Gladiator 2’s Story Confirms Lucius Really Is Copying Russell Crowe’s Maximus
A recent update on Gladiator 2 reveals that Lucius’ story will be just like Maximus’ in the first Gladiator film, which is a big risk for the sequel.
Set images fromGladiator 2have already hinted thatLucius may go on a similar journey to Maximus, as Mescal has been spotted wearing a slave tunic and armor that is seemingly identical to Maximus'. The two films, then, are clearly connected by more than just name, and Lucius' story doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It remains to be seen howGladiator 2fares without Crowe and Maximus, but the character’s legacy certainly appears to be a big part of what’s to come.
Gladiator II
Cast
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.
