Gladiator 2star Paul Mescal explains the latest trailer’s reveal that Lucius is Maximus' son. 24 years after the release ofGladiator(2000), director Ridley Scott’s sequel sees Mescal taking on the role of Lucius Verus, who, after leaving Rome as a boy, finds himself back in the city competing in the Colosseum as a slave. Maximus' (Russell Crowe) legacy looms large over the film, and a recentGladiator 2trailerfeatures the surprise reveal thatLucius is born of a union between Maximus and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).
In a recent interview withEW, Mescal shares his initial thoughts on this majorGladiator 2trailer reveal. “Oh, absolutely. I was like, ‘Holy s—,'” the star says of learning that Lucius is Maximus’ son. As for how he balanced this knowledge while making the film,Mescal reveals that a lot of the Lucius and Maximus' similarities were already in the script, and he tried in his performance to make sure his character felt distinct. Check out the new trailer and Mescal’s comments below:
“[Ridley Scott] mentioned it in the talk, but then it’s an affronting thing to see it written on the page, and [to have] that responsibility fall on your shoulders is interesting.
“The screenplay does a lot of that work for you in terms of the rubbing the dirt between the hands, the kind of DNA, and the genetics that Lucius inherits. So I kind of tried to park that to one side because ultimately, where Lucius is coming from at the start of the film, he has a very different journey than Maximus does.
“And I was hoping that whatever DNA and even just the physical gestures was going to be one part of, and a kind of small part of, the performance. But then what I tried to do is figure out exactly who Lucius was and where those differences lay between Lucius and Maximus.”
What Lucius Being Maximus' Son Means For Gladiator 2’s Story
How Maximus' Legacy Plays A Role In Ridley Scott’s Follow-Up
Scott’s sequel takes place almost 20 years after theend ofGladiatorand Maximus' death. Despite this passage of time, it’s clear that Maximus' legacy will play a large role inGladiator 2. Trailers have thus far revealed that Lucius says some of Maximus' iconic lines from the original, and he also feels the Colosseum dirt in his hands, just as his father did. Furthermore, Lucius will eventually come to wear Maximus' iconic armor and wield his sword.
Gladiator 2 Is Changing The Reason Maximus Rubbed His Hands With Dirt In The Original Movie
Gladiator 2 changes the reason that Maximus rubs his hands with dirt in Gladiator as Paul Mescal’s Lucius does it in tribute to the fallen gladiator.
Any sequel has the challenging task of recapturing what made its predecessor special while also feeling fresh and distinct.Lucius being Maximus' son will allow for more callbacks to the original film and could help to make the sequel feel more like a continuation of that storyrather than just a return to the same world with some familiar faces in theGladiator 2cast.
Nielsen and Derek Jacobi are the only actors from the first film returning inGladiator 2. Newcomers to the cast include: Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger.
Still, though,Gladiatorwas a critical and commercial success, earning positive reviews and grossing $465 million worldwide. It could be difficult for Scott’s sequel to repeat this and earn the same level of acclaim, even with this direct new connection and potential for nostalgia plays.
Our Take On Lucius' Parentage In Gladiator 2
Will It Help Or Hinder The Film?
The originalGladiatordoesn’t feature any obvious signs that Lucius is Maximus' son, but there is clear affection between Maximus and Lucilla. It’s certainly not hard to believe they once had a romantic relationship. Lucius is about eight during the events ofGladiatorand Maximus' other son appears to be younger than that, suggesting thatLucius was not born of an illicit affair, something that would potentially cheapen Maximus' journey in the original film.
Lucius being Maximus son could end up being a major strength inGladiator 2, enhancing Mescal’s character’s emotional journey and the audience response to it, but it could also pave the way for cheap callbacks, with Lucius feeling more like a Maximus' knock-off than his own character. Mescal’s comments, however, suggest that he was cognizant of this and made sure that Lucius feels distinct, which is good news for Scott’s sequel.
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.
