Summary
Over 20 years after the original historical epic was released,Gladiator IIis set to pick up years after Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius died in the Colosseum. Lucius, Paul Mescal’s character, was in the firstGladiator, though he appeared as a child. Since Lucius has clearly become an adult between movies, it seems thatGladiator IIwill feature a significant time jump. AsGladiator II’s November release date approaches, more details have been revealed about the film, and they give some great insight into howGladiator IIfits into the timeline established by the originalGladiator.
A newtrailer forGladiator IIhas given some new insights into the upcoming film, and how it fits in with the originalGladiator’s timeline. The trailer highlighted the main cast ofGladiator IIand set up its story quite well, and it had some major reveals for the sequel. One of those reveals was Lucius' close connection to Maximus, the main character of the originalGladiator. While it’s not clear exactly how the two are connected just yet, there are some clues that reveal how much time has passed sinceMaximus' death at the end ofGladiator.
Gladiator 2: Everything You Need To Know
More than 20 years after the original Gladiator, the sequel arrived in 2024. Here is everything you need to know about Gladiator 2.
Gladiator 2 Is Probably Set In 211 AD
The trailer forGladiator IIshowcased the Roman Emperors who rose to power after Commodus' death at the end ofGladiator. In real life, after Commodus was assassinated, it led to the Year of Five Emperors, a period of political instability in Rome. ThoughGladiatorisn’t very historically accurate, the sequel does seem to be following the real timeline of Ancient Rome.After the Year of Five Emperors, Septimus Severus became Emperor, and he eventually gave the throne to his sons, Caracalla and Geta. They ruled Rome together as co-emperors from 209 to 211 AD, when Caracalla assassinated Geta.
SinceCaracalla and Geta areGladiator II’s emperors,it seemsGladiator IIis set in 211 AD, the year Geta was assassinated. Lucius is determined to get revenge against Rome inGladiator II, and since he’ll likely be taking the same role as Maximus did in the original film, Lucius will likely end up killing one or both of the Emperors. If that happens,Gladiator IIwould have to take place in 211, as that was when Geta died in real life. That would also help the sequel fit within the originalGladiator’s timeline, based on Commodus' death.
How Long After Gladiator Is Gladiator 2 Set?
Based on the real timeline of Roman emperors, it seemsGladiator IItakes place several years after the original. Emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix in the original movie, ruled from 177 to 192 AD, when he was assassinated.Since Commodus died in 192 andGladiator IIwill likely take place towards the end of 211, there are almost 20 years betweenGladiatorand its sequel. That’s more than enough time for Lucius to have grown up between movies, and it also helps explain the massive amount of developments betweenGladiatorandGladiator II.
180 AD
172–192 AD
Commodus' death
192 AD
198-217 AD
209-211 AD
Geta’s death
211 AD
What Happens Between Gladiator And Gladiator 2
It would also make sense forGladiator IIto take place 20 years after the original film simply because of how much happened between them. Based on somedetails about Paul Mescal’s Lucius, he went through quite a bit between movies.Lucius was sent away from Rome by his mother, Lucilla, and grew up in a region of Northern Africa known as Numidia. Lucius also started a family and became a warrior beforePedro Pascal’s General Acaciuscaptured and enslaved him.Denzel Washington’s Macrinusalso rose to power in that time, so 20 years seems like a realistic timeline for so much to happen.
Gladiator 2: 10 Biggest Reveals From The New Images
New images and plot details pertaining to Gladiator 2 confirm even more about the story, such as Lucius' dynamics with Lucilla, Acacius, and Macrinus.
In addition to Lucius' journey between movies, quite a bit happened to Rome in his absence.SinceGladiator IIwill focus on Caracalla and Geta’s reign, that means quite a bit of political instability and many power shifts happened betweenGladiatorand its sequel. Rome also seemingly declined quite a bit between films, as the trailer indicated that Caracalla and Geta weren’t concerned with seeming like benevolent rulers the way Commodus was. Corruption seems to have spread far and wide throughout the Roman Empire in Lucius' absence, and 20 years would be more than enough time for that type of rot to set in.
Why Gladiator 2 Might Use A Different Timeline
ThoughGladiator IIis likely set in 211 AD, there’s no guarantee that it will actually follow the historical timeline. Ridley Scott, who directed bothGladiatormovies, took a few creative liberties with the historical timeline of Ancient Rome to tell a more compelling story in the original film, and he could easily do it again forGladiator II.In real life, Commodus ruled for about 15 years, from 177 to 192 AD, butGladiatorcondensed his reign into about a year. That shifted timeline helpedGladiatormake Commodus a more compelling villain, and Scott might use the same trick forGladiator II.
Gladiator
Cast
Gladiator follows Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the new emperor Commodus. After escaping execution, he is enslaved and becomes a gladiator. Set in ancient Rome, the story portrays his struggle for survival and quest for vengeance as he battles for his freedom in the arena.
There are a couple of clues already thatGladiator IIcould have a more realistic timeline than the original, however. The trailer forGladiator IIindicated that it would pick up in the midst of Caracalla and Geta’s reign, rather than showing it from start to finish likeGladiatordid with Commodus.Pedro Pascal’s Acacius mentioned that he didn’t want to send more soldiers to their deaths under the Emperors' orders, and he seems to have a dark history of serving under their rule. If that’s the case,Gladiator II’s story could match up with the historical timeline of Caracalla and Geta’s rule.
Even ifGladiator IIdoes play around with the historical timeline, though, it will likely work quite well. Scott didn’t let historical accuracy get in the way of the originalGladiator, and it paid off. Because it changed the timeline of Commodus' rule,Gladiatorwas able to show his full transformation into a tyrant rather than worrying about fitting with history. Those creative liberties helped make Commodus a truly diabolical villain, and Scott could do the same for the sequel. Whatever Ridley Scott decides to change aboutGladiator II’s timeline will almost surely be for the best.
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.
