After twenty years of failed attempts, the director Ridley Scott finally does Gladiator 2 and he’s going all in with this insane cast. We have Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, Denzel Washingtonand nothing more than Pedro Pascal, everyone’s favorite of the day, is heading to the arena. When it comes to all these new faces, only Mescal and Quinn are attached to named characters, and everyone else is bragging about that most rumored cinephile term… a powerful “unrevealed role”. Plot details for Gladiator 2 as silent as the actors, but thanks to a Reddit user’s well-researched theories, a little-known period of Roman history may provide clues to the plot and Pascal’s role in it. Put on your detective hats and let’s get started.
Gladiator 2 is hard to understand
Next GladiatorThanks to the success at the box office and five Oscars, Ridley Scott already in 2001 intended to film a sequel to his 2000 epic. Scott and his staff discussed many different story possibilities. One such concept included the adult Lucius Verus - son Connie NielsenX Lucilla and nephew Emperor Commodus (sublime, oscar-deprived Joaquin Phoenix) — discovering that Maximus (Russell Crowe) was his real father. Others pondered the problem of how to bring Maximus back from the dead, because why shouldn’t Crowe return to his Oscar-nominated role? After all, death is just a plot point. Known to have a script from a singer-songwriter Nick Cave proposed a fantasy scenario in which the Roman gods turned Maximus into an immortal assassin. Maximus would have tried (but failed) to kill Jesus Christ, whose religion posed a threat to the Roman pantheon of gods, then fought in every historical war. Oh, and Maximus will accidentally kill Lucius. (It gives early god of War vibes, right?)
Crowe announced earlier this year that he would not be returning to Gladiator 2but wishes good production. This leaves the burning question of who will wear Crowe’s sandals as the film’s protagonist. For his part, Crowe believes the sequel will follow Lucius as the young man becomes the new Emperor of Rome. But everyone knows that you can’t just take a star as huge as Pedro Pascal into such a big project and not spark rampant internet speculation. So now we turn to the ancient history and recent reasoning of one Redditor.
What do we know about Gladiator 2?
Here are some proven facts about Gladiator 2: According to the earliest scripts, Paul Mescal will play the adult Lucius. Meanwhile, Joseph Quinn portrays Emperor Caracalla. Lucius, like Maximus, was always a fictional character created by Scott, but Caracalla (like Commodus and Lucilla) was a historical figure. Caracalla’s name has given rise to rumors that Barry Keoghan will play Caracalla’s brother and ally.Emperor Get. This idea runs through the narrative, as Caracalla and Geta despised each other in real life. As Reddit user jimmy_costigan describes in his post: “Geta tried to kill Caracalla but failed, so Caracalla called a peaceful rally at their mother’s house. When Geta arrived, Caracalla called in his Praetorian Guard and killed his brother in their mother’s arms. Since then, he has been the sole emperor.”
The rivalry between siblings that ends in fratricide is enough material for history, especially since the ancient Romans practiced betrayals, conspiracies and coups for breakfast. jimmy_costigan thinks killing Geta by Caracalla will serve Gladiator 2X provocative incident, similar to the first Gladiator starts with Commodus killing his father Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and replacing him as emperor. (Apparently Caracalla’s tyrannical manner makes Commodus look like a walk in the park. Fun times!)
A Reddit user suggests that Lucius’ fate will be the same as Lucilla’s real son, a senator named Aurelius Pompeian. Caracalla considered Aurelius a threat and executed him. Since the fictional Lucius is connected to two former emperors, if Scott doesn’t play fast and loose again with historical accuracy, Lucius might not be long in coming. Gladiator 2X world.
Pedro Pascal enters the arena… Maybe?
If Lucius is killed, this is where Costigan will position Pedro Pascal’s grand entrance. In an echo of Maximus’ desire for justice, Pascal knew Lucius personally and felt compelled to take revenge on Caracalla. “I think he’s really going to be the film’s main gladiator,” says Costigan. This theory makes sense given the ever-increasing popularity of Pascal; he has more than proven his ability to lead gigantic projects, bringing realism and empathy to every role.
If Pascal’s character in Gladiator 2 goes to war one on one with the emperor, Costigan suggests that Ridley Scott may have drawn inspiration from a soldier who played an important role in Roman history. Justin Martialis killed Caracalla after the emperor denied him a promotion. This is a rather boring and awkward situation for the screen (especially since Caracalla allegedly went to the toilet when he died), but if Pascal really Gladiator 2X protagonist and face to face with a ruthless dictator, it is doubtful that Pascal will not be able to take revenge. Costigan suspects that Caracalla will mark Pascal as an enemy, and the latter will escape, perhaps with the help of Djimon HounsouJuba, who returns in the sequel. Pascal hears tales of Maximus’ legacy from Juba and assumes the title of Maximus the Spaniard while fighting epic battles in the arena. Costigan says: “I bet the movie ends [Pascal] on a suicide mission to kill Caracalla, where he dies at the end, knowing that he has done his duty and dies with honor.”
Now entertain us!
As Scott successfully took liberties with the first Gladiator, it won’t be a surprise if he repeats the process, creating a character for Pascal. In fact, this is probably the best strategy for a successful sequel. Moving into a lesser-known period in history gives Scott even more creative freedom. If the Reddit user’s theories are confirmed and Gladiator 2 echoes spiritually with its predecessor themes of power schemes and revenge quests, using historical figures that are “newer” to viewers, should make the story refreshing and satisfying. The audience saw a lot Julius Caesar and his buddies. Instead, let’s sit back, relax, and support Pedro Pascal’s continued domination of the world. Bonus points if he spews out some form of “are you not having fun?!” after you kick the appropriate amount of asses.
Source: Collider
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