Gladiator IIwill transport audiences back to Ancient Rome as Paul Mescal portrays an older version of Lucius (originally played by Spencer Treat Clark). Set overa decade afterGladiator(starring Russel Crowe), the long-awaited sequel will put a fresh spin on the “surviving in the Roman Colosseum” sub-genre of action which has become immensely popular. And, according to screenwriter David Scarpa, that fresh spin comes by holding a mirror to the first movie.
Speaking to Empire Magazine, David Scarpa explained howGladiator IItells a captivating and fresh story a decade after the death of Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius. Scarpa explained that he re-examined Maximus' arc from the first movie, and found it incredibly interesting to explore how that inspired a young Lucius. As Lucius grew up watching Maximus fight in the Colosseum, his mentality at the start ofGladiator IIwill mirror Maximus' at the end ofGladiator, leading to a deep-seated hatred of Rome. He explains:
“The idea was to invert the whole first movie entirely. The first movie starts with Maximus, who’s a Roman general battling a barbarian army. My notion was that we would begin the [second] movie looking at a young man who has joined a barbarian army, and he’s facing off against the Romans. He has the same unspoken anger and loathing for Rome [as Maximus did], so we’re watching echoes of the same man, but almost his opposite number.”
Gladiator II
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.
Paul Mescal Believes He Can Beat Pedro Pascal in a Fight
The first trailer forGladiator IIshows a bulked-up Paul Mescal fighting for the unnamed barbarian army against Roman soldiers. Leading the legionaries is Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius. As the two clash in a brutal naval siege, their respective fighting abilities and brutality are on full display. However, it’s the trailer’s final battle that has audiences most intrigued. The final shot teases a tense and grueling showdown between Acacius and Lucius in the Colosseum.
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While the outcome of that fight will be revealed when the movie hits theaters this November, in real life,Paul Mescal is confident in his ability to take on his co-star, Pedro Pascal. Despite Pascal playing some truly brutal characters throughout his career, including Oberyn Martell inGame of Thrones, Joel Miller inThe Last of Us, and the titular bounty hunter inThe Mandalorian, Paul Mescal trusts that, if it ever came to a scrap, he’d come out the victor. The actor jokingly said:
“I think I’d win in a fight between me and Pedro, but he’s deceptive. Pedro is one of the funniest men that I know, but he could fk st up. Like, absolutely categorically. There’s a beast in there for sure.”
Paul Mescal’s size would certainly work in his favor if it ever came to a real-life fight between the pair. To prepare for the action-heavy role, Mescal hit the gym, hard! The actor got in such good physical shape thatPedro Pascal gave him the appropriate nickname ‘Brick Wall’ Paul Mescalduring production.
Gladiator IIreleases in US theaters on July 25, 2025. Check out the latest trailer below:
