Warning! This article contains spoilers for Gladiator 2.
Gladiator 2centers on Lucius Verus, with many wondering if he becomes Emperor of Rome in the film and if this was true in real life too.Gladiator 2’s Lucius Verusbegins his journey as a warrior living in Numidia, a kingdom on the northern coast of Africa. After having his life turned upside down by the Roman Army, Lucius becomes a gladiator and attempts to get revenge against those who have wronged him, telling a similar story to the one that was concluded inGladiator 1’s climactic ending.
As was the case with the first movie, severalGladiatorcharacters are based on real people. One such character is Lucius himself, though both movies make notable changes to the real historical facts centered around the grandson of Marcus Aurelius. Played by Paul Mescal inGladiator 2’s cast of characters, Lucius defies Emperors in the story, leading many to wonder if he ever takes the position at the head of Rome’s Empire for himself, both in Ridley Scott’s epic saga and the real history on which it is based.
Lucius Doesn’t Become Emperor Of Rome In Gladiator 2 Or Real Life
Be It Fact Or Fiction, Lucius Never Ruled Rome
In both real life andGladiator 2, Lucius did not become the Roman Emperor. InGladiator 2, Lucius succeeds in defying the will of Rome’s corrupt senators. This eventually results in the deaths of Rome’s twin Emperors, Caracalla and Geta, with Denzel Washington’s Macrinus briefly taking the throne.
Gladiator 2’s Roman Emperors Explained: True Story & Why There Are Two
Unlike the first movie, Gladiator 2 features two different Roman emperors. While this might seem strange, its rooted in real historical fact.
InGladiator 2’s finale, Lucius kills Macrinus and takes his place as the prince of Rome. However, Lucius stops his ascent to power there, instead telling the Roman people about his grandfather’s dream to see the empire become a republic once more. Lucius succeeds in realizing his grandfather’s dream, as the Roman people take back the power from the dishonorable politicians that have long plagued the city’s politics.
What Happened To The Real Lucius Verus
Regarding the real Lucius Verus, his story was very different. Lucius Verus actually died at a very young age, even before his uncle, Commodus, became the Roman Emperor in 180 AD. It is unclear how Lucius died, but all three of Lucilla’s children did so before maturing, meaning the events ofGladiatorandGladiator 2are almost entirely fictional where Mescal’s character is concerned.
Who Became Emperor Of Rome After Geta & Caracalla?
With Lucius' real-life history marking a tragic departure from the story ofGladiator 2, many will wonder who became the Emperor of Rome after Geta and Caracalla. In this, at least,Gladiator 2maintained some historical accuracy. In Roman history,Macrinus succeeded Caracalla after the former conspired to assassinate the latter.
Macrinus' reign lasted just over a year before he was supplanted by Elagabalus…
That said, Macrinus did not rule for long. Macrinus' reign lasted just over a year before he was supplanted by Elagabalus. This somewhat matchesGladiator 2’s depiction of Macrinus, though the Ridley Scott film takes it even further. InGladiator 2’s story, Macrinus is the Roman Emperor for a matter of hours before being killed by Lucius, as the character reinstills hope for Marcus Aurelius' dream of Rome becoming a reality.
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.
