Gladiator 2: All 7 Original Movie Character Replacements

Warning: Major spoilers for Gladiator II ahead!

The narrative of Gladiator II picks up years after the events of Ridley Scott’s Academy Award-winning epic Gladiator and while there were only a few returning characters from the 2000 movie, the long-awaited sequel did feature several spiritual replacements for characters from the original. Gladiator II‘s box office haul is reflective of how beloved the original movie was, and while some believe a sequel was unnecessary, audiences have clearly been entertained by the historical epic. Where the original was largely driven by Russell Crowe as Maximus, Gladiator II almost feels like an ensemble film despite Paul Mescal’s top billing.

In many ways, the story of Gladiator II, and its major players, is an echo of the original Gladiator. The sequel was still driven by powerful performances, as all six main actors in Gladiator II were afforded moments to shine. As a result, some parallels between the original’s cast and the cast of Gladiator II emerged over the course of the sequel’s runtime. Indeed, even minor characters seemed to cross over in the form of a new actor with a slightly different role, although the spirit of the character remained roughly the same as their counterpart in the original.

7 Lucius Verus Aurelius Vs. Maximus Decimus Meridius

The Aggrieved And Vengeful Gladiators

The most obvious replacement character is Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus Aurelius stepping into the shoes of Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius. The connection between the two is elevated when it’s revealed that Lucius is in fact Maximus’ biological son, but even if that particular twist hadn’t come to pass, he was placed upon the same path of vengeance through bloodshed. The two men took very different paths to captivity, but the general concept of a member of Rome’s elite society falling into slavery and fighting their way to the sands of the Colosseum is nearly identical once they are captured.

Both Lucius and Maximus are skilled fighters, and once they are “required to kill”, as Maximus phrases it, their elite fighting skill carries them through each skirmish on the sands. Despite Maximus being a Roman general, the two men share a disdain for what Rome has become; Maximus ultimately survives in the arena to preserve the possibility of vengeance against Commodus, while Lucius fights to avenge all the wrongs that Rome has inflicted upon him. Their missions may not be perfectly aligned, but vengeance is the driving motivation for both as they attempt to survive as gladiators.

Lucius inspires both the Praetorian Guard and Acacius’ soldiers to unify and build a Rome more aligned with his grandfather’s vision from so many years before.

However, both men find themselves a catalyst for something more important than vengeance. Maximus’ defiance of Commodus is the spark that keeps the dream of the Rome that Marcus Aurelius envisioned alive, and while he is struck down before a coup can be attempted, his mission is inadvertently picked up by his son years later. After Macrinus seizes the throne, Lucius manages to kill him, and reveals himself as the heir of Marcus Aurelius. He inspires both the Praetorian Guard and Acacius’ soldiers to unify and build a Rome more aligned with his grandfather’s vision from so many years before.

6 Caracalla And Geta Vs. Commodus

The Twisted And Vindictive Emperors Of Rome

Caracalla and Geta are twin emperors, and act as the spiritual replacement for Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus in Gladiator II. Despite the two men being based on real-life emperors of the same name, their depictions are among the biggest historical inaccuracies in Gladiator II. Interestingly, the two brothers are depicted with clashing personalities, and almost seem like manifestations of the two separate sides of Commodus. The childish and volatile Caracalla embodies Commodus’ petty, jealous side, and mirrors the moments in which Commodus explodes or lashes out.

The real Commodus was in fact a dictatorial ruler, but he did not die in the arena; he was assassinated by a wrestler named Narcissus, who trained with Commodus as part of his preparation for his actual appearances in the Colosseum.

Geta, on the other hand, is more calm and calculating, just as Commodus could be shrewd in how he manipulated the people around him once he was crowned emperor. None of the three men have any honor to speak of, as they are all cowards and despots at their core. They make for perfect villains, as their cruelty is only matched by how unlikable they are. All three men are violently killed on-screen in moments that have a cathartic effect on the audiences after witnessing their cruelty.

The biggest key difference is that Commodus was directly responsible for inflicting injury upon Maximus; he killed Maximus’ beloved mentor and friend Marcus Aurelius, gave the order to have his wife and son killed, and sentenced Maximus himself to execution. Caracalla and Geta were simply the rulers of the empire that had been the cause of so much injustice in Lucius’ life, and as a result, they felt more like minor villains as opposed to Commodus, who carried the “big bad” gravitas.

5 Ravi Vs. Juba

The Trusted Friend Of The Revenant

Neither Maximus nor Lucius are entirely alone on their journeys as gladiators, even if they often find themselves alone on the sands of the Colosseum. Both men make a connection with another person who at least partially understands their plight, and find friendship and comfort in their words. For Maximus, the character is Djimon Hinsou’s Juba, a fellow gladiator of Proximo’s stable that he finds himself chained to in one of his earliest arena battles. The two men forge a friendship in their common situation, and in their common dreams of seeing their families again.

Djimon Hinsou’s Juba is listed as a Numidian warrior, indicating that he is from the same kingdom that Lucius is seen defending at the beginning of
Gladiator II
.

For Lucius, that friend is Alexander Karim’s Ravi, a former gladiator from India who was skilled enough to earn his freedom but chose to remain as a medic for wounded gladiators. Lucius finds solace in Ravi’s words about gladiatorial combat and life in general, and it is Ravi who shows him the hidden shrine to Maximus that lies deep in the bowels of the Colosseum. Both Ravi and Juba tend the wounds of their respective allies, which is another key connection in their spiritual similarity.

4 Macrinus Vs. Proximo

The Gladiator-Turned-Entrepreneur Who Aids In Vengeance

Denzel Washington’s Macrinus evolves into a far more complex character over the back half of Gladiator II, but his relationship with Lucius begins almost exactly as that of Oliver Reed’s Antonius Proximo and Maximus. Both Proximo and Macrinus began their own lives as slaves and eventually gladiators, and after finding their way to freedom, managed to become successful businessmen. While Proximo’s main business is the buying, selling, and training of gladiators, Macrinus has his hands in a number of different enterprises, making him a more influential entrepreneur in the grand scheme of Rome.

The two men are responsible for elevating Maximus and Lucius from the dusty bowls of the lesser arenas in the Roman Empire to the white sands of the Colosseum, and for enabling their ultimate mission of vengeance. Macrinus’ conversation with Lucius about using his rage is a direct echo of Proximo’s one-on-one discussion with Maximus about what it is he truly wants. Both Macrinus and Proximo see their respective fighters as a way to further their own agendas: Proximo wants to get back to the Colosseum, while Macrinus wants to get as close as possible to the halls of power.

3 Arishat Vs. Maximus’ Wife

The Lost Love And Impetus For Vengeance

Both Maximus and Lucius lose their wives to Rome, and that loss is the key catalyst behind their burning desire for vengeance. Maximus’ wife (Giannina Facio) is murdered by Roman soldiers under Commodus’ orders at her own home, having committed no crime. Lucius’ wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen), on the other hand, died in combat against General Acacius’ Roman legion as they invaded the North African kingdom of Numidia.

Maximus had reason to take vengeance on Commodus for killing Marcus Aurelius, just as Lucius had reason to hate Rome for driving him out and inflicting its infectious corruption on other parts of the world. However, the loss of their wives is what made it truly personal for both men, and fanned the flames of vengeance into a nigh-unstoppable inferno of rage.

2 Master of Ceremonies Vs. Cassius

The Voice Of The Arena

Among the more minor characters of Gladiator II, Matt Lucas’ Master of Ceremonies stands out as a direct replacement for the orator named Cassius from Gladiator, portrayed by legendary character actor David Hemmings. Lucas’ Master of Ceremonies takes a less serious approach to his role as essentially the Colosseum’s public address announcer, while Cassius treats the position with true gravitas. While the Master of Ceremonies is more concerned with exciting the crowd with high energy, Cassius uses his gravelly voice and masterful story-telling to set the stage. It’s truly just the same role played in two very different ways.

1 Glyceo Vs. Tigris of Gaul

The Fan-Favorite Champions Of The Colosseum

Both Maximus and Lucius find themselves rising up the ranks in popularity of the Colosseum’s gladiators as they keep winning, which eventually puts them in more high-profile fights. When Maximus reveals himself to Commodus, the diabolical emperor pits him against an undefeated champion of the arena who had previously been retired: Tigris of Gaul, played by Sven-Ole Thorsen. The dual-weaponed fighter showcases a tremendous amount of skill both in combat and in manipulating the crowd in his fight against Maximus, which is part of what identifies his spiritual successor.

Sven-Ole Thorsen, who played Tigris of Gaul in
Gladiator
, was a bodybuilder and stuntman who won the Denmark’s Strongest Man competition in 1983.

In Gladiator II, Lucius finds himself in a fight between several gladiators and a beloved champion who rides a rhinoceros into battle named Glyceo (Chris Hallaways). While he doesn’t work directly with them, Tigris is assisted by actual tigers in the arena, while the skilled fighter Glyceo has the rhinoceros do some of his killing for him. The two share one major trait that makes Glyceo the Gladiator II replacement character for Tigris: they are spectacles in and of themselves.