Denzel Washington’s character is one of the biggest draws ofGladiator II, and his role in the upcoming sequel sounds much bigger than we realized. Thecast ofGladiator IIsounds excellent, with major stars like Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and others playing major characters in the film. However, the marketing campaign forGladiator IIhas heavily focused on Denzel Washington’s involvement, which is admittedly exciting for any movie that gets the actor. Luckily, it looks like Denzel Washington may be inGladiator IImore than the marketing is letting on.
After decades of waiting,Ridley Scott is finally returning to make a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2000 hitGladiator, with the upcoming sequel focusing on mostly all-new characters in an all-new story. One of the biggest new additions toGladiator IIis Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, a former slave who has the ambition of overthrowing the Roman Empire. The first trailer forGladiator IImakes it seem like Macrinus is mostly operating in the background, pulling strings in order to get Paul Mescal’s Lucius to take down Roman royalty for him.
Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Role Could Campaign For Best Actor At The Oscars (Not Supporting)
Meaning That He Is In The Movie More Than We Think
Although Denzel Washington’s Macrinus doesn’t seem to be the film’s main character, it looks like he could be campaigning for the Best Actor award at the Oscars instead of Best Supporting Actor. According toVariety’sofficial Oscars predictions, it looks likeDenzel Washington’s role inGladiator IIis significant enough that he could go either way, with the film having the potential to get him a Best Actor nomination. It looks like the actor’s awards chances will entirely depend on what direction the studio campaigns for, meaning it is possible that Washington could be more than a supporting actor.
Awards season always has a lot of politics involved, so it is entirely possible that this is all speculation and that Denzel Washington gets nominated for Best Supporting Actor. After all, it would be difficult to campaign for Best Actor nominations for Denzel Washington as well asPaul Mescal, who is undoubtedly the protagonist ofGladiator II. The advertising forGladiator IIalso makes Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius seem like the film’s second biggest character, not Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, making his Best Actor potential even stranger.
Gladiator 2 Living Up To Expectations Is Even More Difficult After Ridley Scott’s Comments
Gladiator 2 will have to work hard to live up to 20 years of expectation, which is only going to be harder following Ridley Scott’s recent comments.
Is Denzel Washington The Main Villain Of Gladiator 2?
Or Is It Pedro Pascal?
Therole of Denzel Washington’s Macrinus inGladiator IIis a bit mysterious, with the film not letting on if he will be the true main villain. When looking for an antagonist in the upcoming sequel, it seems obvious to point the finger at Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius. After all, the Roman Empire encompassed every villain in the firstGladiator, and since Lucius' goal seems to be to take the empire down, it only makes sense for a Roman figurehead like Marcus Acacius to be the main villain.
However,Denzel Washington’s Macrinus has all the makings of a twist villain. Macrinus is clearly manipulating Lucius, with him pulling the strings in the shadows while Lucius seems to be acting as the public face of Macrinus' revolution. It is entirely possible that Macrinus and Lucius are completely aligned in their goals, with Macrinus acting as more of a mentor than a threat. However, it would be odd to have the element of someone controlling Lucius without them ever coming into conflict inGladiator II’s story.
Gladiator 2 Looks Like Denzel Washington’s Perfect Ridley Scott Reunion 17 Years After $266M Hit
Denzel Washington’s anticipated role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is perfect after he performed in a similar role in a 2007 Scott-directed film.
Denzel Washington Is Less Likely To Be Gladiator 2’s Version Of Proximo
He Seems To Have More Villainous Intentions
When drawing parallels betweenGladiatorandGladiator II, the most obvious comparison to Denzel Washington’s sequel character is Proximo. While Proximo was the well-intentioned mentor ofRussell Crowe’s Maximusin the original movie,Macrinus seems less pure. The trailer forGladiator IIhighlights that Macrinus is more aggressive and sarcastic than Proximo, meaning that he could end up making rash or even intentionally villainous decisions later in the movie.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lucius turn against Macrinus at some point inGladiator II, something that didn’t happen in the original film. Since Lucius is a blood relative of those in charge of the Roman Empire, Macrinus' radical approach to taking down Rome could put the two in conflict, painting Macrinus in more of a villainous light. Casting an actor as big as Denzel Washington means thatGladiator IIhas to have a bigger plan for the character than it is letting on, with this being one of the most exciting parts of the sequel.
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.
