OriginalGladiatorstar Spencer Treat Clark is speaking out about being replaced by Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel,Gladiator II.Clark, who starred as a young Lucius Verus, the nephew of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, will not be returning for the highly anticipated sequel. Instead,Lucius will be portrayed by Irish actor Paul Mescal, best known for his Emmy-nominated role in the miniseries,Normal People.Lucius is the centralcharacter inGladiator II, following him as he is forced to enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home.
Speaking withPeopleto discuss his new Max film,Salem’s Lot, Clark responded to being replaced by Mescal.The former Lucius actor had nothing but positive commentsabout the new movie and Mescal’s casting Read his full response below:
The movie looks so good, and Paul’s going to do such a great job. I’ve actually heard great things about the movie…I feel like it was 25 years ago, but for some people, seeing me as an adult and being like, ‘Oh my God, you’re right. You were Lucius inGladiator,’ is so wild. But I’m really excited to see the movie and to see what Paul brings to it. And yeah, it comes out soon. So I’m excited for it.
What The Lucius Recasting Means For Gladiator II
Age Can Make All The Difference
Gladiator IIwas in developmentlimbofor some time. Discussions of a sequel to 2000’sGladiatorgo back as far as 2001, with rumors of a plot revolving around Maximus in the afterlife and a story centered around Lucius being the secret son of Maximus. Scott often gave updates to the project over the years, remaining optimistic that it would eventually make it into production. The film was finally announced in 2018, and Mescal was cast in the lead role in January 2023.
Scott has recently addressed the recasting of Lucius, stating that he wanted a younger actor in the role…
Scott addressed the recasting of Lucius, stating that he wanted a younger actor in the role and that he was impressed with Mescal inNormal People. Mescal, who is 28,is eight years younger than Clark. While that may not seem like a huge age difference, it can be significant when comparing an actor in their twenties and another who is nearly reaching their forties. Scott’s recasting may also be dependent on the period in whichGladiator IItakes place. It’s possible that Clark may just be too old for when the film is set.
Our Take On The Lucius Recasting
Actors Being Replaced Is A Common Occurrence
Recasting in Hollywood is nothing new. From George McFly inBack to the Future IIto Cassie Lang inAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, replacing actors happens all the time. Perhaps one of the best comparisons to theGladiatorrecasting is Ewan McGregor’s casting as Danny Torrance inDoctor Sleep.Danny was originally portrayed by Danny Lloyd inThe Shining,but the young actor left the business, so a notable actor was hired to portray the adult version of the character in the sequel.
Paul Mescal’s Lucius In Gladiator 2 Explained: Sequel Plot, Recasting & True Story
As the main character of Gladiator 2, Paul Mescal’s Lucius has been given quite a bit of attention in new images and interviews for the epic sequel.
However, unlike the Danny Torrance recasting, Mescal is not as well-known of an actor as McGregor, nor does he have an extensive acting resume. In fact,Spencer Treat Clark has three times as many acting credits as Paul Mescal, appearing in shows such asMad MenandMarvel’s Agents of SHIELD,as well as films suchas Unbreakable, GlassandWeird: The Al Yankovic Story.However, Mescal is already an Oscar-nominated actor with strong potential in the future. Thus, Scott saw something in Mescal that he thought better aligned with the version of Lucius in theGladiator IIscript than Clark would have been.
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.
