Gladiator 2 characters: A guide to Ridley’s new Roman Empire

Ancient Rome looks a little different this time around – and shock, there’s more than one emperor! Stay on the side of historical accuracy with our Gladiator 2 character guide.

We’ve been waiting 20-odd years to be entertained all over again, and now the moment has come. Russell Crowe remains down and out (sorry, no Nick Cave resurrection happening here) and a new crop of fighters comes forth.

If you remember the original movie’s ending, you’ll know there was the tiniest bit of scope for a functioning sequel. Maximus and Commodus killed each other, with Lucilla left fearing for the Empire as well as her family.

But how much can Rome change in two decades? The short answer is both completely and not at all. Check out who’s who in the characters of Gladiator 2.

Who does Paul Mescal play?

Mescal is Lucius, the little boy you might remember being ferried out of Rome on a horse in the original movie. Now he’s all grown up and treading his father’s footsteps.

Paramount Pictures

The big bombshell of the OG was finding out Lucius was actually Maxmius’ son – particularly after watching the young boy be in awe of our gladiator. He’s sent out of Rome when Maximus dies and goes to Numidia, which is where we find him 20 years on.

He’s got a family of his own, and just like his dad is a general in the army. It takes a blink of an eye for Rome to have captured the city, leading Lucius to be at the bottom of the social pile.

What’s that? He has to fight for his freedom as a gladiator while instilling the beliefs of Marcus Aurelius into dismantling the system? Where have we seen that before!

Was he real? No. Lucius is just based on *gestures around* ancient history rather than anybody specific. Which is probably a good thing, as his life is the Roman equivalent of a Jerry Springer show segment. Real Lucilla did have a son called Lucius, but he died as a child.

Who does Denzel Washington play?

Denzel is Macrinus, who assumes the Proximo-style role in the sequel. Instead of sharing stories of his time as a Gladiator, he’s looking to move up the political ranks – all the way to the throne.

Paramount Pictures

Whereas Maximus’ trainer Proximo instilled good values into his fighter, Macrinus uses Lucius as a tool for his own gain. He’s got an agenda – get to Rome’s throne as quickly as possible, no matter how messy the outcome may be. When we meet him, he has absolutely everyone on his side, which is dangerous.

He’s quick to identify Lucius as a soldier with spark, essentially giving him special treatment from the moment they are introduced. However, Macrinus quickly puts him in situations that backfire for him as time goes on.

Was he real? Yes. Macrinus did indeed get what he wanted in real life, taking over the throne from Caracalla between 217-218 AD. He was a praetorian prefect up to that point, with it being said his skills as a lawyer helped him climb to equestrian status, which is a step below the Senate.

Who does Pedro Pascal play?

Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, who’s our new general of the Roman empire. Though it appears he has full loyalty to his Emperors… let’s just say that’s not the case.

Paramount Pictures

Acacius essentially starts out in exactly the same position Maximus did, except he’s less favored by his Emperors. They see his abilities – and celebrate them – but also make Acacius frequently aware that he needs to succeed. To succeed, he must essentially colonize the entire world.

But as we come to learn, Acacius does have a heart underneath all that armor. He’s romantically involved with Lucilla, automatically meaning he’s understanding of Aurelius’ principles. We won’t spoil this, but as Gladiator 2 goes on, this makes a lot more sense.

Acacius captures Numidia as the sequel begins, with it clear this is one of many successful captures he has under his belt.

Was he real? Surprisingly, no. Whereas most of the higher-ups featured in the first movie are based on real life, there’s no evidence to suggest Acacius existed at all.

Who does Connie Nielsen play?

This one you should know the answer to – Connie Nielsen returns as Lucilla. She’s the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, sister of Commodus, lover of Maximus… and now wife of Acacius.

Paramount Pictures

She’s our main tie to the events of the first film, having suffered the painful trauma of watching literally everyone around her get killed off. Yet two decades later, she lives, and has assimilated herself into Geta and Caracalla’s tyrannical tirade. However, appearances are deceiving.

We’d expect her to still be leading the charge when it comes to fighting for what her dad believed in, and she is. It’s just not as overt this time around – she knows she has a son out there who is a target, so her actions are usually deployed under the cover of darkness.

That being said, she’s not doing the best job at making up for lost time. Sure, she’s got Rome’s favored general on her side, but she’s not Mother of the Year when it comes to Lucius. Their reintroduction gets off to a shaky start considering what’s happened.

Was she real? Yes. If anything, the Gladiator movies have downplayed the power she actually had over Rome’s Empire. She absolutely hated her brother Commodus and was indeed involved in a plot to overthrow him. She tried to have him assassinated in 182 AD, which resulted in her being banished to the island of Capreae, where she was executed.

Who does Joseph Quinn play?

Joseph Quinn joins the cast as Emperor Geta, one-half of the absolutely tyrannical leaders the Empire now has. He’s the more forthright one of the two, usually spearheading the gore and violence.

Paramount Pictures

In every duo, there’s an introvert and an extrovert, and Emperor Geta is our extrovert in this instance. He knows how to communicate with the Senate and powers that be, with Macrinus knowing Geta is the biggest obstacle in the way of him gaining influence.

From the moment we’re introduced to him, Geta is controlling the action. He constantly reminds Acacius of his duties and standing, while simultaneously trying to keep Caracalla in the shadows. But does he actually have any loyalty towards him? Me thinks not.

Was he real? Yes. Here’s a brief summary of what we’ve missed since Commodus died – Rome fell into the hands of the Year of Five Emperors. Much like you’d imagine, five senior figures all claimed rule over the Empire, with one of those being Severus Septimus. As a result, the throne fell to his sons, Geta and Caracalla, after his death.

Who does Fred Hechinger play?

Fred Hechinger is Emperor Caracalla, Geta’s brother and idiot-in-arms. He’s slightly more on the passive side and has a heart when it comes to his pet monkey, Dondas.

Paramount Pictures

Even if you’re not, Caracalla is definitely here to be entertained. He lives for the games and gladiator fighting, and his excitement for them seems to be his main way of communicating with anyone else.

He’s easily persuaded by his brother Geta, and other figures like Macrinus see him as malleable clay too. In moments of uncertainty, he turns to his monkey Dondas for reassurance. He even has a tiny little dress for his troubles.

Was he real? Yes. Although placid in the movie, Caracalla was actually the older of the two brothers in real life. The pair ruled during the same timespan we see in Gladiator 2, with it likely Caracalla ordered for his brother to be assassinated. He then reigned on his own (which he found largely boring on the duty side of things) before being killed in 217 AD during warfare. Amazingly, it was while he stopped by the road to pee.

Other key Gladiator 2 characters

Sir Derek Jacobi returns as Senator Gracchus, with new gladiators including Lee Charles as Slovak and Rory McCann as Tegula. Alexander Karim is also joining as Ravi.

Universal Pictures

It’s worth noting that other than Lucilla, Gracchus is the only character returning from the original movie. His loyalty remains firmly with Aurelius and Maximus, meaning whatever Lucius does, he’ll be right behind him.

Senator Gracchus was not real, though there was clearly enough disloyalty in the Senate to have Commodus challenged. The same can be said for Geta and Caracalla if we are to believe they were easily influenced as leaders.

While characters like Juba aren’t coming back – even though he survived the first movie – it’s likely we’ll see the listed new characters fall into similar roles. Macrinus takes the role of Proximo, Acacius of Maximus… do you see where I’m going with this?

That being said, we will likely see named gladiators as allies of Lucius and the cause. If they aren’t, they’re going to be involved somehow in Macrinus’ training program – think of the sort of brute brought in to bully new submissions into fighting fitness.

We’ll also see actors like Matt Lucas and Peter Mensah in currently undisclosed roles.

Gladiator 2 comes to cinemas on November 15 in the UK and November 22 in the US. Catch up with our review, why the sequel is getting hated on, and when it takes place.

You can also check out more new movies streaming this month.