Even though Russel Crowe technically did not appear inGladiator II, his character, Maximus, was featured at the end of the film. The story ofGladiator IItakes place 16 years after the first film, and follows Lucius, who is forced to become a gladiator after the death of his wife. Paul Mescal leads thecast ofGladiator II, which also includes Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger. Mescal’s Lucius is a significant character since he is actuallythe son of Crowe’s Maximus from the firstGladiatormovie.
Lucius' arc inGladiator IIis very similar to Maximus' in the first film. Crowe originally portrayed Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 filmGladiator, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Crowe’s Maximus instantly became an iconic character, but he unfortunately died at the end ofGladiator. Therefore,it wasn’t surprising when it was revealed that Crowe would not appear inGladiator II. However, showing Maximus' hand at theend ofGladiator IIsets up Crowe’s return as Maximus inGladiator 3perfectly.
Gladiator 2 Showing Maximus' Hand Directly Sets Up His Gladiator 3 Return
Lucius Wants To Speak To Maximus At The End Of Gladiator 2
At the end ofGladiator II, Lucius earns his freedom and defeats Macrinus. Afterwards,he returns to the empty Colosseum and asks his father to speak to him. Lucius kneels down on the ground with a purple sky above him, signaling the dawn of a new Rome, which is what both he and his father fought for. The film then shows a hand grazing the stalks of grain in a field. This shot is very similar to an iconic shot of Maximus from the firstGladiatormovie.
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While his face is not shown in the scene, the hand at the end ofGladiator IIbelongs to Maximus. The ending ofGladiator IIshows a glimpse of Maximus in Elysium, the Roman afterlife where he wanted to reunite with his wife and son in the first film.Gladiator IIconfirms that Maximus is existing peacefully with his wife and son, but is also still connected to Lucius, his other son, who is still alive. Therefore, it would make perfect sense for Crowe to return as Maximus inGladiator 3and have a larger role.
Gladiator 3 Not Including Russell Crowe Will Be Disappointing After Gladiator 2’s Hand Tease
Russell Crowe Needs To Return As Maximus After Gladiator 2’s Ending
AfterGladiator II’shand tease,Crowe needs to return as Maximus in a more significant role inGladiator 3. It made sense that he didn’t return forGladiator IIsince Maximus died at the end ofGladiator.Gladiator IIcould have excluded Maximus entirely from the sequel, but it instead honors his character significantly throughout the film. Crowe’s Maximus is constantly mentioned throughoutGladiator II, andLucius even wears his father’s armorduring the climax of the film. AfterGladiator IIensured Maximus is remembered as a central character in the franchise, he can’t be excluded fromGladiator 3.
After including Maximus' hand inGladiator II, the third movie cannot just ignore the fact that Lucius was asking to speak with his father.
While it was an exciting moment, the tease of Crowe’s hand didn’t need to be included inGladiator II. However, director Ridley Scott and the writers ofGladiator IIchose to include the scene. Therefore, like it or not,Crowe’s return as Maximus inGladiator 3has now been directly set up. After including Maximus' hand inGladiator II, the third movie cannot just ignore the fact that Lucius was asking to speak with his father. SinceGladiator IImade sure Lucius and Maximus were so closely connected,Gladiator 3cannot erase their bond.
How Russell Crowe’s Maximus Could Be Part Of Gladiator 3
Maximus Will Most Likely Return Through Visions And Dreams
WhileGladiator 3has been confirmed to be in development, not many details are known about the plot of the film. Since there will be a much shorter gap between the second and third film than there was between the firstGladiatormovie and its sequel, it is likely thatGladiator 3will once again focus on Lucius. Since Lucius is determined to create a better future for Rome at the end ofGladiator II,Maximus could appear in visions and dreams throughoutGladiator 3to help guide him as he becomes an influential Roman figure.
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Maximus needs to remain dead in theGladiatorfranchise, as he deserves to have a blissful existence in Elysium, so bringing him back through visions and dreams would make the most sense inGladiator 3. However,Crowe could also return as Maximus in flashback scenes which would show different moments of his life, and potentially further explore his bond with Marcus Aurelius. Since Lucius is inspired byMarcus Aurelius' dream of Rome, this would make sense. However, Crowe is much older now than he was in the originalGladiator, so it might be difficult to include flashbacks of Maximus' life.
Would Russell Crowe Actually Return For Gladiator 3 After Being Left Out Of Gladiator 2?
Russell Crowe Could Be Willing To Return In Gladiator 3
Crowe was not asked to return forGladiator II. Therefore, this raises the question of whether he’d be interested in reprising his role as Maximus inGladiator 3.Maximus is perhaps Crowe’s most iconic performance, so him returning could potentially ruin the legacy of the character.Gladiator IIplayed it safe by only including his hand, but featuring scenes that actually include Maximus speaking may not sit right with longtime fans of the original movie.
One of the original ideas forGladiator IIwould have brought Maximus back from the dead and sent him traveling through time to visit several different historical eras.
However, Crowe reprising his role inGladiator 3would draw many more people to theaters to see the film. Therefore, Crowe’s paycheck forGladiator 3would undeniably be massive, which could convince the actor to return.Crowe could also ensure he has creative input over Maximus' arc inGladiator 3, which could make the actor feel more comfortable returning to the role. Crowe is still a very active actor in Hollywood and consistently appears in new movies. This means that it is not at all out of the realm of possibility that he would sign on forGladiator 3.
Gladiator II
Cast
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.
