While the Paul Mescal-led Gladiator II largely follows in its predecessor’s footsteps, it packs a few twists of its own.
What is Gladiator II about?
Warning: Spoilers for Gladiator II ahead
Again, the plot of Gladiator II is very similar to its predecessor. Lucius (Paul Mescal) is living a humble life in Numidia with his wife. One day, Roman soldiers, who are led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal), invade the land. They kill Lucius’ wife and take him into slavery.
While enslaved, Lucius quickly catches the eye of Macrinus (Denzel Washington). He seems to take Lucius under his wing, promising him revenge on Acacius if he continues fighting for him.
Clearly, there is more going on with Macrinus than he lets on. A former slave himself, he is clearly trying to take over Rome. Standing in his way are co-emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger).
Meanwhile, Lucius has to fight his way to freedom. His mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who made Lucius leave after the events of Gladiator, recognizes her son. While she still is in a position of power, others are trying to take advantage of her.
She is also married to Acacius in a shocking twist. Gladiator II’s hero is squaring off against his mother’s latest husband. This connection blurs the lines for Lucius and his journey.
A mother tries to save her son
Once Lucilla recognizes her son, she tries to save him. She enlists the help of her husband to help her, which he initially agrees to. However, word about her escape plan gets out, causing Acacius to get incarcerated.
The emperors are pissed, and it is clear that Marcrinus is loving it. He is slowly working his way up and earns the trust with his role in this arrest.
Acacius is forced to fight in the Colosseum. After easily discarding the guards, he is pitted against Lucius, who’s filled with rage.
Gladiator II is seemingly centered around this feud. Lucius getting his sweet revenge against Acacius has been two hours in the making.
After a brutal battle, Acacius eventually waves the figurative white flag. After Emperor Geta gives Lucius the green light to execute him, he hesitates. He wanted his head, but now he cannot pull the trigger.
Ultimately, Acacius is killed. This death is a shocking twist, as there are still about 30 minutes left in Gladiator II. Buckle in, folks; the ride is just getting started.
The emperors get dethroned
Behind the scenes, Macrinus is still working his way up. He manipulates the weak-minded Emperor Caracalla and gets him to turn on Geta, helping him finish the job.
Emperor Geta then names his monkey the second-in-command and Macrinus behind him. It is becoming clear what Macrinus is scheming, and he has almost gotten away with it.
Emperor Caracalla is not as gung-ho about executing Lucilla despite Macrinus’ advice to do so. Macrinus knows the family ties and is trying to get rid of any heirs to the throne. He reluctantly agrees, giving Lucius a chance to win her freedom in the arena.
So, Lucius fights. Before entering the arena, one of Macrinus’ guards taunts Lucius with a wooden sword. He eventually overpowers him, with Paul Mescal delivering one of the best lines of the year: “Wood or steel, a sword is a sword.”
Just when he is about to win his mother’s freedom, she is shot with an arrow. When Lucius looks back, he realizes it was Macrinus who pulled the trigger. Letting her walk was never an option, even if the rules stipulated she could, even if the rules stipulated she could.
Macrinus quickly kills Caracalla and makes a run for it. Lucius then chases him.
Before this went down, Lucius entrusted his necklace to Ravi (Alexander Karim), who treated his wounds throughout Gladiator II. He advises him to take it to a nearby ally base camp and request their presence in Rome.
A final showdown between Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington
Gladiator II concludes with a showdown between Lucius and Macrinus. They start on horseback but are quickly fighting in a pond. While they fight, the Roman soldiers watch on as Ravi and the cavalry also approach.
Both sides let the two men duke it out. Despite his best efforts, Macrinus is no match for Lucius, who kills him. He then gives a unifying speech with his mission statement as the new ruler of Rome.
Back at the Colosseum, Lucius looks at the remnants of where his mother died. He calls out to his father, Maximus (Russell Crowe). One final dream sequence then takes place.
The arm of a man appears in a field as he passes by the flowers. It is unclear who this is, but it appears that Maximus answers the call.
Going forward, a third Gladiator seems to be in play. Ridley Scott has already started writing it, and it appears Lucius’ story has just begun.
Gladiator II is in theaters.
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