Do you need to watch Gladiator before Gladiator 2? Explained  

Ridley Scott's classic historical movie Gladiator is finally here with a much-awaited sequel, Gladiator 2. The epic action drama is written by David Scarpa, produced by Scott Free Productions, and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Released more than 20+ years after the original Gladiator, the sequel chronicles the life of Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla, the main characters of the first movie. It is a direct sequel to Gladiator, and watching the first film or familiarity with its story will help the audience understand Gladiator 2 better.

The movie premiered in theatres in the US on November 22, 2024. It garnered around $98.9 million and has a 72% rating on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes based on 278 reviews.

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Is Gladiator 2 related to Gladiator?

Since Gladiator 2 is a direct sequel to Gladiator, one must know the plot of the first film to follow the story of the second.

The leading character of Gladiator 2 is Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Lucilla sent Lucius away from Rome when he was a child, to protect him.

He was living as Hanno in Numidia with his wife when an invasion by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) disrupted his entire life. He lost his wife and became embroiled in the violent and corrupt world of Roman gladiators.

A still from Gladiator 2 trailer. (Image via YouTube/Paramount Pictures)

There are many key connections between the two films, and the most prominent one is Lucius being the son of Lucilla and Maximus. The events in the second film take place 16 years after the death of Maximus and Commodus in the movie.

While Russell Crowe's Maximus and Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus do not return for the sequel, Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) and Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) reprise their roles.

According to Time Magazine, screenwriter David Scarpa said in the film's production notes:

"Maximus started as a leader in the Roman military who is facing off with an army of barbarians,"

He added:

"Lucius is a barbarian defending his home from the invading Romans. Maximus was loyal to [Emperor Marcus Aurelius]. Lucius hates Rome and everything to do with it. And yet both end up forced to kill or be killed for the amusement of the mob."

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Additional details about Gladiator 2

Lucius's journey also mirrors the theme of Gladiator, as Lucius and Maximus are both driven by a desire to seek revenge and bring justice.

Paul Mescal at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie (Image via Getty)

The cast of the movie includes -

• Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus Aurelius
• Pedro Pascal as General Acacius
• Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
• Denzel Washington as Macrinus
• Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta
• Fred Hechinger as Emperor Caracalla
• Lior Raz as Viggo
• Sir Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus
• Peter Mensah as Jubartha
• Matt Lucas as the Master of Ceremonies
• Alexander Karim as Ravi
• Tim McInnerny as Senator Thraex
• Rory McCann as Tegula
• Yuval Gonen as Arishat
• Alec Utgoff as Darius
• Yann Gael as Bostar

The film also features multiple flashbacks to the original movie, giving the audience a chance to catch up with the plot. The film is produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Walter F. Parkes, and Laurie MacDonald. A third movie of the franchise is in development.

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Gladiator 2 is now in theatres.