Even though Denzel Washington’s Macrinus was one of the best characters inGladiator II, he could’ve been a much better villain if he had more time to rule over Rome. The story ofGladiator IIfollows Lucius, who is forced to become a gladiator and fight in the arena as he plots his revenge against the Roman Empire for the death of his wife. In the film, it is revealed that Lucius is actuallythe son of Russell Crowe’s Maximusfrom the firstGladiatormovie. Therefore, there are a lot of similarities betweenGladiator IIand the original film.
In addition to Washington, thecast ofGladiator IIincludes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger. While several characters inGladiator IIare very similar to iconic characters from the original film,Washington’s Macrinus is one of the more unique additions to the sequel. Macrinus is an arms dealer and gladiator owner who eventually overthrows the Roman Emperors. However, he is eventually killed at theend ofGladiator II, changing his ending from the real life version of Macrinus.
Gladiator 2 Kills Macrinus Before He Could Become Rome’s Official Emperor
Macrinus' Rule Over Rome Was Cut Short In Gladiator 2
Macrinus is one of the most interesting characters inGladiator IIbecause he was actually once a slave owned by former Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Therefore, now that he is free and has become an influential businessman,Macrinus is also seeking revenge against the Roman Empire. After being a slave for so long, Macrinus wants all the power to himself. InGladiator II, he positions himself to be one of the most trusted advisors of twinEmperors Geta and Caracalla.
Gladiator 2’s Surprise Villain Has a Better Revenge Story Than Paul Mescal’s Lucius
While Lucius is the lead in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, Denzel Washington’s Marcinus has a much more compelling revenge story in the sequel.
However, Macrinus ends up turning Caracalla against Geta. With the help of Macrinus, Caracalla kills his own brother, becoming the sole Emperor of Rome. Macrinus' scheming doesn’t stop there, though, and he ends up killing Caracalla, as well. After the death of both Emperors,Macrinus takes control of Rome. The real life version of Macrinus also ruled over Rome, but the version seen inGladiator IIisn’t actually officially made Emperor of Rome because he dies too quickly at the hands of Lucius.
Macrinus Ruled Rome For One Year In Real Life After Caracalla’s Death
The Real Life Version Of Macrinus Didn’t Kill Caracalla Himself
The real life figure that Washington’sGladiator IIcharacter is based on was named Marcus Opellius Macrinus. In real life, he served as a praetorian prefect for Emperor Caracalla, which was a high ranking title in the Roman Empire. He handled many of the civil affairs in Rome, but feared for his own life under Caracalla’s rule. Therefore,Macrinus plotted to have Caracalla killed, and allegedly sent an army officer to murder the Roman Emperor.
Macrinus is known as the only Roman Emperor to never set foot in Rome during his rule, but he still attempted to improve the Empire.
Macrinus was leading a campaign against the Parthians in modern-day Iran when Caracalla was murdered, but still proclaimed himself Emperor upon his death. Since Macrinus had the support of the Roman army, the Senate had no choice but to support his rule. Macrinus is known as the only Roman Emperor to never set foot in Rome during his rule, but he still attempted to improve the Empire. However,not everyone agreed with his decisions as Emperor, which led to Macrinus being executed alongside his young son, whom he had proclaimed co-Emperor, just one year after he took control of Rome.
Why Gladiator 2 Changed Macrinus' History As Rome’s Emperor So Drastically
Macrinus' Rule Over Rome In Gladiator 2 Was Completely Different
Gladiator IImade several significant changes to the real Macrinus' rule as Emperor. Instead of being named Emperor when he was leading a war campaign, Washignton’s Macrinus takes control of Rome from within the city. InGladiator II,Macrinus is directly responsible for the deaths of both Geta and Caracalla, and successfully becomes the ruler of Rome. However, since he is in Rome, Macrinus' rule is much more unsteady than it was in real life.
In real life, Carcalla’s aunt, Julia Maesa, declared her 14-year-old grandson, Elagabalus, as Emperor and challenged Macrinus' rule.
InGladiator II, Macrinus' rule over Rome is cut short to provide Lucius with a satisfying ending. While Marinus is one of the most prominent characters inGladiator II, Lucius is the central character of the movie. Macrinus is also seeking revenge against the Roman Empire, but Lucius is presented as the much more honorable character in the film. Therefore,the climax ofGladiator IIfocuses on Lucius freeing himself and defeating Macrinus.
At the end ofGladiator II, Macrinus places Lucilla, Lucius' mother, in the arena. Lucius and the other gladiators attempt to save her life, butMacrinus ends up killing Lucilla himself by shooting her with an arrow. This leads to the final duel between Lucius and Macrinus inGladiator II. Lucius catches up with Macrinus as he is attempting to flee the city, fully aware of how much danger he is in within Rome. Lucius kills Macrinus at the end of the film, which means thatGladiator II’sversion of Macrinus barely ruled over Rome before his death.
Denzel Washington Would’ve Needed Gladiator 3 To Tell Macrinus' Real History Properly
There Is No Reason For Macrinus To Appear In Gladiator 3
Since Macrinus doesn’t gain full control of Rome until the climax ofGladiator II, his death feels slightly rushed. The real life Macrinus did not have a long reign as Emperor either, but he was able to make some significant decisions during his rule. Right whenGladiator II’sMacrinus takes control of Rome, he is immediately thrust into battle with Lucius, which he loses. Therefore,Gladiator IIdid not have the time to tell the real life story of Macrinus' rule. This is disappointing, astaking more inspiration from the real life Macrinus would’ve made Washington’s character even more intriguing.
Denzel Washington Gives Gladiator 2 A Massive Difference To The First Movie That I Did Not Expect
Denzel Washington brought something to Gladiator 2 that I never expected to see in the sequel: comedy. Macrinus is a laugh riot in this movie.
However,Macrinus would’ve needed to remain alive forGladiator 3to properly explore more aspects of his rule. If Macrinus did survive the events ofGladiator II, a third film could have introduced his son, who would become co-Emperor.Gladiator 3could have also showed Macrinus and his son’s execution, which would have made for an intense and somewhat tragic moment in the movie. However, as it stands, telling the real life story of Macrinus wasn’t the priority ofGladiator II, and the intriguing character did not survive the events of the movie.
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.
