Is There Room for a Trilogy?

Gladiator II lets fans return to Rome 24 years after the beloved original. Ridley Scott returns to the director’s chair with Normal People‘s Paul Mescal in the leading role. The Irish actor plays Lucius 20 years after he fled Rome and was adopted by villagers in Numidia. After war engulfs the nation, Lucius is taken as a prisoner and returned to the heart of the Roman Empire… the Colosseum. Purchased by the manipulative Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius’ own plans for freedom and revenge are leveled against Macrinus’ endless desire for power, all while the Roman people are exploited under the control of joint emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).

Gladiator II is already a hit. The film was released in Europe and the UK a week earlier than the US and has already raked in $87 million from its international release. The legacy sequel is one of the rare sequels worth the 20+-year wait (with some even claiming it’s better than the original). So, what does that dramatic ending mean? How does it compare to the original? And has Ridley Scott already set up Gladiator III?

WARNING. The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Gladiator II (obviously)!

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Lucius Is the New Prince of Rome

Much like the original, Gladiator II is a clear-cut revenge story. After losing his wife in the war between Numidia and Rome, Lucius vows to avenge her, slaying the leader of the Roman army, General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). After finding himself in Rome, Lucius is unfazed by the violence and brutality of the gladiator pits, and his pent-up rage catches the attention of Macrinus, who purchases him and takes him to the Colosseum.

However, Lucius’s vendetta against the Roman people is complicated by his hidden past. The trailers for Gladiator II already revealed that Lucius is the son of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russel Crowe) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). Lucius was forced to flee Rome as a child following the death of Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). His time in Numidia caused Lucius to abandon his Roman heritage and embrace life as a Numidian. But his interactions with Lucilla cause a stir of emotions to return, and Lucius feels a strange sense of duty to save the Roman people from its sadistic emperors.

By the end of Gladiator II, Lucius goes by his real name and official title, The Prince of Rome. While he’s fighting in the pits, Lucilla and her closest ally, Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi), are already forming a secret government, along with the devoted army of General Acacius, to seize back power from the evil emperors. However, their newly formed plan to save Rome is halted by Macrinus’ own lust for power.

Macrinus Is the Real Villain of ‘Gladiator II’

It’s hard to argue that Denzel Washington’s Macrinus is a scene stealer. With an endlessly entertaining and charismatic performance from the two-time Oscar winner, Macrinus worms his way into power among the Roman elite, quickly becoming the close confidant of Emperor Caracalla. Exploiting Caracalla’s madness caused by syphilis, Macrinus manipulates the Emperor to murder his own brother, Geta, and become the sole leader of Rome.

But his plans don’t stop there. With Rome already in disarray, Macrinus misleads Caracalla into causing a riot among the citizens. Macrinus then brutally murders Caracalla and claims power for himself. Macrinus started as a mustache-twirling but enticing villain. But Ridley Scott slowly peeled back the layers of the character. After discovering her secret plans, Macrinus reveals to Lucilla that he was once a slave and was owned by her father, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris).

‘Gladiator II’ Sets up a Trilogy

Going into Gladiator II, fans had one big question: “Does Lucius survive, or will he die like Maximus?” Ridley Scott’s sequel structurally calls back to the original film a lot, but its ending is vastly different. With his newfound sense of duty, Lucius leads a rebellion among the gladiators to save Lucilla and halt Macrinus’ plans. But he was too late. Lucilla was murdered by Macrinus, and Gracchus was killed by one of the Praetorian Guards.

All that stood in Macrinus’ way was Marcus Acacius’ army, who were descending on Rome to coup against the Emperors. Macrinus led the Praetorians to meet the army in battle. But Lucius was hot on his tail. After a gruesome one-on-one battle (where a 69-year-old Denzel Washington still kicked ass), Lucius came out victorious. After unleashing his rage, Lucius calmed himself and addressed the clashing Roman soldiers in a speech that would give Spartacus a run for his money.

And that’s where Gladiator II ends. Like the original, the sequel leaves Rome’s future open-ended. Both films were character-driven stories, focusing on their sword-wielding protagonists and how the manipulative actions of those around them threatened their own freedom and lives. Ridley Scott has already teased plans for a third installment in the franchise, saying he’s begun work on the threequel’s script. If Scott does make a third film, Lucius is expected to return in some capacity. However, it’s more likely that Gladiator III will follow a new protagonist and explore how Rome has changed from a new perspective under Lucius’ rule. Gladiator II is in theaters now.