Gladiator Sequel Brings Back Original Star and Adds Stranger Things Fan Favorite

Recently, it was announced that a Gladiator sequel is currently in the works with Ridley Scott returning to direct. The follow-up is set to star Paul Mescal, who will be taking over the role of Lucius, the part played by Spencer Treat Clark in the first film. The movie is also set to feature Denzel Washington and Barry Keoghan, and it was announced today that an actor from the original movie is officially signed on for the sequel. Connie Nielsen will be back as Lucilla, the sister of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator) and the mother of Lucius. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has also added Joseph Quinn, who is best known for playing Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things. 

According to the report, Quinn will be playing Roman Emperor Caracalla. The sequel's story is expected to center on Lucius. In addition to Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou is also expected to return as Juba, a fellow gladiator, and ally of Maximus, the character played by Russell Crowe in the original film.

Is Russell Crowe in Gladiator 2?

Despite dying in Gladiator, there were previously written sequel ideas that would have seen Crowe return as an immortal Maximus. However, the actor is not expected to return to the role that earned him an Oscar back in 2001. In fact, the actor recently told Collider that he's "jealous" of the new movie's cast. 

"I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life," Crowe explained. "It's something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I've been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible. Here it is, it's 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don't always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart."

Why Did Russell Crowe Call the Gladiator Script Rubbish?

During another recent interview with Vanity Fair, Crowe opened up about how he did not like the original script for Gladiator.

"Gladiator is my 20-somthing-th movie, so I was confident about my abilities as a lead man," Crowe explained. "What I wasn't confident about Gladiator was the world that was surrounding me. At the core of what we were doing was a great concept, but the script was rubbish. Absolute rubbish. And it has all these, sort of, strange sequences. One of them was about chariots and how famous gladiators – and this is all true, right? – to use certain types of chariots and some famous gladiators had endorsement deals with products for olive oil and like that," Crowe explained with a laugh. 

He continued, "And that's all true, but it's just not gonna ring right to a modern audience. They're gonna go, 'What the f*ck is all this?' The energy around what we were doing was very fractured. I did think a couple times, maybe my best option is just to get on a plane and get out of here, you know? It was my continued conversations with Ridley that sort of gave me faith."

Gladiator 2 currently has a November 22, 2024 release date.