Russell Crowe will notably not be featured in Ridley Scott's highly-anticipated sequel Gladiator II but that doesn't mean he has been silent about his absence. Crowe won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Maxmius in the original action epic, which makes his lack of involvement in the sequel even in a behind-the-scenes capacity somewhat peculiar. Although Maximus died at the end of the original Gladiator, it was certainly within the realm of possibility to feature Maxmius in the form of dreams or flashbacks or perhaps as a sort of spiritual presence in the film, even through a voice. Nevertheless, Crowe will not be a part of the Gladiator sequel whatsoever.
Since it's already established that Paul Mescal's Lucius is the son of Maximus, Crowe's absence won't be entirely felt in Gladiator II as the legacy of his character will certainly play a significant role in the eyes of his son. Mescal, who is one of the most versatile young actors today and shines in just about every leading role from the melodramatic Aftersun to the tensely romantic All of Us Strangers, is sure to carry the touch of Maximus Decimus Meridius well. Gladiator II is expected to be one of the highest grossing movies of the year and has a great chance to incite Oscar buzz for Scott, Mescal, and supporting actor Denzel Washington as the arms-dealer Macrinus.
Gladiator II
releases in theaters on November 22, 2024.
Russell Crowe Is Uncomfortable With Gladiator 2 Happening Without Maximus
The original film has a deeply nostalgic place in Crowe's storied acting career
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook
Russell Crowe broke his silence on not being in Gladiator II during an interview with Kyle Meredith With... in June 2024, revealing that it made him "slightly uncomfortable." He would go to elaborate by saying he felt naturally protective of the film and its legacy, particularly pertaining to his glorified Maximus character. Crowe revealed, "I’m slightly uncomfortable, the fact that they’re making another one, you know? Because of course, I’m dead, and I have no say in what gets done." This comes as no surprise considering how impactful the original film was not only to Crowe's acting career but also to Hollywood and film history at large.
Screen Rant interviews Gladiator II star Paul Mescal about his work playing Lucius Verus in Ridley Scott’s long-awaited Gladiator sequel.
Crowe continued, "A couple of things that I’ve heard, I’m like, ‘No, no, no. That’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But you know, I can’t say anything. That’s not my place." Crowe, now 60, also acknowledged the nostalgic quality of the original Gladiatorin the June interview. "I reflect back on the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it and the doors that particular movie opened for me. So there’s definitely a tinge — and this is just being purely honest — a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy. Because I remember when I had tendons."
Russell Crowe Was Never Asked To Return In Gladiator 2
Scott found no reason to consult Crowe given Maximus's death
Russell Crowe was never formally asked by Ridley Scott to return to the development and production of Gladiator II in any capacity. Crowe revealed in Screen Rant back in 2020 during an interview about his then-upcoming movie Unhinged that he had not been contacted when development on Gladiator II was starting to seriously pick up. "If they’re having conversations about that, those conversations haven’t included me. I’m not sure what they have in mind. At all… Can I just say, with a pinch of salt, they have genuinely been having the same conversations since the year 2000.”
Russell Crowe was not the only actor considered to play Maximus in Gladiator, and the other names in contention would have each changed the movie.
Known for openly expressing his often blunt perspectives, Ridley Scott recently explained to Empire in September why he never thought about consulting Crowe for Gladiator II. "The plot, frankly, was right under our noses. I think it was so close under our noses that we thought it was too simple." Scott also must have missed Crowe's "uncomfortable" comment from June. "I think [Crowe is] still one of the best actors in the world, and I think we have a good relationship. I hope we do. As long as he doesn’t start bitching about how he wasn’t consulted. Why would I? He’s dead!”
Russell Crowe Wished Paul Mescal Luck In Leading Gladiator 2
Mescal never contacted Crowe when preparing for his Lucius character
Crowe was entirely left in the dark about his place (or lack thereof) in Gladiator II during a 2023 interview with The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio One promoting The Pope's Exorcist. "I'm sure at some point in time they'll want to ask me about something, but they haven't brought anything up in a while," Crowe revealed. He did seem to be aware of the unlikelihood of his involvement in the production at that point after filming began on Gladiator II in May of last year. "It’s an extension of the narrative, but it is long beyond Maximus’ passing, so it doesn’t really involve me at all," Crowe acknowledged.
Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius in Gladiator 2, explains why he didn’t reach out to Maximus actor Russell Crowe for advice for the Ridley Scott sequel.
Crowe also took the opportunity to wish Mescal good fortune in what is bound to be a career launching role for him, much like it was for Crowe. "I hear that young fella Paul is a good dude and I wish him the best of luck with it." The more than two decades that have passed since Gladiator first hit theaters have left Crowe in a reflective and melancholic frame of mind about the film, which he did not carry during its production. "I don't want to dwell on it too much because it does take me back to a period of time when obviously I was significantly younger. And you know, the rose-colored glasses of that experience now are perfectly crystallized. I look back on it and I loved every minute of it, and that wasn’t actually the case at the time."
Russell Crowe Didn't Like The Original Gladiator 2 Script
Gladiator producer Doug Wick wanted Maxmius to return from the dead
Despite a bizarre pitch by musician Nick Cave to have Gladiator 2 feature a time-traveling element that would enable a resurrected Maxmius to fight Jesus Christ and go on to fight in World War II, Crowe was seemingly never offered a serious script for the sequel. The concept of Maxmius returning from the dead was toyed around with more seriously by Gladiator producer Douglas Wick, which Crowe was reportedly not a fan of.
Crowe revealed in a 2020 interview, "Last time I talked to Doug, he said he had this great idea where Maximus gets carried from the stadium and they pull back this big rock and he gets put into this cave and then the rock closes over and he's anointed with oils. And then the rock opens up and he comes out. And I said, "Doug, I don't think we have the rights to that story. But that was a long, long time ago and I don't think he appreciated my sense of humor at the time." Wick is one of the producers on the official Gladiator II which is poised to be much better than a Maximus resurrection story.
Gladiator has a large cast of characters, with several being based on real figures from ancient Rome and others being entirely fictional creations.
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.
Release Date November 22, 2024
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment
Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures
Writers David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni
Custom Image by Ana Nieves
Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook 
:quality(85):upscale()/2023/03/13/840/n/1922794/a144765f640f75218ce2b5.24945169_.webp)
English (US) ·