Gladiator 2 Cast, Character & Cameo Guide

The cast of Gladiator 2 boasts some of Hollywood’s biggest names, ranging from legendary actors to up-and-coming stars. The long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 film Gladiator, the new movie takes place almost two decades after the events of the first film. In the aftermath of a massive battle with the Roman Empire, a mysterious young man with unstoppable rage is sold into slavery and brought to the capital city to fight as a gladiator. Unbeknownst to almost everyone he encounters, this is Lucius, a former prince of Rome who fled the city as a child.

The long-awaited sequel to Gladiator attempts to recapture the spectacle and scope of the predecessor, which won Best Picture from the 73rd Academy Awards. The early critical reception to Gladiator 2 has been positive, suggesting that Scott has recaptured the lightning in a bottle that turned the first Gladiator into a blockbuster smash hit. Even beyond Gladiator 2‘s stars, the film features plenty of fan-favorite actors from across the globe in memorable supporting roles. Here are the stars of Gladiator 2 and where fans have seen them before.

Paul Mescal As Lucius Verus

Born February 2, 1996

Active Since: 2017

Actor: Paul Mescal is the star of Gladiator 2, taking the role of the grown Lucius Verus. Born in Maynooth, Ireland, Mescal got his start in the theatre before starring in his first TV show, Normal People. His performance as Connell Waldron earned him several award nominations, and a win for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He has subsequently appeared in several prestige dramas, including All of Us Strangers, God’s Creatures, and Aftersun (the latter of which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.)

Character: Paul Mescal plays Lucius, taking over the character played by Spencer Treat Clark in Gladiator. A prince of the Roman Empire, Lucius grew up in relative obscurity in Numidia before the invading Roman Army captured him. Sold into slavery and made to fight as a gladiator, Lucius is driven by rage to take revenge on Rome as a whole — and specifically Marcus Acacius, the Roman General whose attack sacked his home and killed his wife. This brings him back into proximity with the city he fled as a child, as well as his mother Lucilla.

Pedro Pascal As Marcus Acacius

Born April 2, 1975

Active Since: 1996

Actor: Born in Santiago, Chile, Pedro Pascal spent the early years of his career appearing in shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Homeland. Pascal found his breakout role with Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, which elevated his career and set him up to appear in several blockbuster films (including The Equalizer 2, opposite his Gladiator 2 co-star Denzel Washington). The actor reached international stardom thanks in part to his performances in shows like The Mandalorian and The Last Of Us. He joins the MCU in 2025 as Reed Richards aka Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Character: Marcus Acacius is a Roman General in Gladiator 2, and the main target of Lucius’ rage at the empire as a whole. A confident and capable general, Lucius’ work on the battlefield has led Rome to expand its empire across the entire known world. However, the general also grows weary of the human cost of this expansion and has quietly grown to hate the twin Emperors Geta and Caracalla, whose orders keep him on the battlefield. Marcus proves to be a quietly complex character across the film, especially in Marcus’ contrast to Russell Crowe’s Maximus.

Joseph Quinn as Emperor Geta

Born January 26, 1994

Active Since: 2011

Actor: Born in London, England, Joseph Quinn made his screen debut in the TV show Postcode. Joseph Quinn established himself as an actor in shows like Dickensian, Catherine the Great, and Small Axe. He also appeared in films like Overlord and Hoard before finding his big break with the role of Eddie Munson in Stranger Things. Gladiator 2 is Quinn’s second blockbuster film of 2024, following his major role in A Quiet Place: Day One. He’s also set to reappear alongside his Gladiator 2 co-star Pedro Pascal in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, where he’ll play Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch.

Character: Geta is one of the twin Emperors in Gladiator 2. The current ruler of Rome, Geta is portrayed as a vindictive and harsh figure, with a touch of theatricality. Geta proves to be an ambitious figure who seeks to expand the scope of his empire through the use of the armies at his command. Both Emperors believe themselves to be impervious figures at the top of the Roman empire, unaware of the unrest brewing around them. However, Geta proves the more cunning and self-aware of the pair.

Fred Hechinger As Emperor Caracalla

Born December 2, 1996

Active Since: 2018

Actor: Born in New York City, New York, Fred Hechinger made his film debut in the role of Trevor in Bo Burnham’s coming-of-age dramedy Eighth Grade. He appeared in other films like Vox Lux and The Woman in the Window. Hechinger found his breakout roles in The Fear Street trilogy on Netflix and the first season of The White Lotus. Hechinger has also established himself as a producer, even serving as an Executive Producer in Thelma. He’ll get his own Marvel role in the Sony Spider-Man films in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter, where he plays Dimitri Smerdyakov aka the Chameleon.

Character: Caracalla is Geta’s brother and his fellow Emperor. The siblings rule the Empire with an iron fist and seek to use their armies to expand their rule across the world. In contrast to the more specific commands of Geta, Caracalla proves to be far more unpredictable. A hedonist whose life of earthly desires has left him with declining cognitive faculties, Caracalla proves to have a real bloodthirsty that is satisfied by watching lethal combat between the gladiators.

Connie Nielsen As Lucilla

Born July 3, 1965

Active Since: 1984

Actor: Born in the Danish village of Frederikshavn, Connie Nielsen made her film debut in the French film Par où t’es rentré ? On t’a pas vu sortir. Following her English-language debut in The Devil’s Advocate alongside Keanu Reeves and Al Pachino, Neilsen rose to prominence with her role as Lucilla in Gladiator. She has subsequently appeared in a range of American and Danish films, including action films like Nobody and TV shows like Close to Me. She also appeared repeatedly in the DC Extended Universe as Queen Hippolyta, mother of Wonder Woman.

Character: Nielsen reprises her role Lucilla from Gladiator in the sequel. The mother of Lucius and the daughter of former Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lucilla was one of the few main characters of the prior film to survive the events of the story. While her son Lucius was sent away from Rome, Lucilla stayed and remains a powerful figure within Roman high society. Married to Marcus Acacius, Lucilla’s plans to help him combat the Emperor’s control over Rome is complicated by Lucius’ return to the city.

Denzel Washington As Macrinus

Born December 28, 1954

Active Since: 1977

Actor: Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Denzel Washington is regarded as one of the best actors of his generation. Washington rose to prominence with his role as Dr. Philip Chandler in the medical drama St. Elsewhere. Not long after, he earned his first Academy Award for his role in the 1989 Civil War epic, Glory. He was the second black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor with his villainous performance as corrupt LAPD narcotics officer Alonzo Harris in Training Day. Gladiator 2 reunites Washington with director Ridley Scott, who also worked with Washington on American Gangster.

Character: Macrinus is a dangerous wild card in Gladiator 2, arriving in the city with plans to gain control over the Empire that formerly enslaved him. Having risen from those inglorious origins to become a power-broker in his own right, Macrinus arrives in Rome with a contingent of gladiators under his control, including Lucius. Macrinus is a darkly engaging figure, working to charm, intimidate, and kill his way to the role of Emperor, with little concern for the mortal cost of his ambitions.

Gladiator 2’s Supporting Characters

Gladiator 2 Mostly Focuses On A New Generation Of Characters, But Has One Notable Returning Cameo

Gladiator 2‘s cast features a number of notable character actors in supporting roles, with one notable returning figure from the first film: Derek Jacobi (Vicious), who reprises his role as Lucilla’s friend and Roman Senator Gracchus. Carrying out the orders of Macrinus is the merciless gladiator trainer Viggo, who is played by Lior Raz (Fauda). One of the film’s more notable supporting characters is Ravi, a former Gladiator turned doctor who befriends Lucius. Ravi is played by Alexander Karim (The Wheel of Time).

The Roman Senator Thraex, who is a frequent pawn of Macrinus’ plans, is played by Tim McInnerny (Blackadder). Yuval Gonen (The Station) appears early in the film as Arishat, Lucius’ wife. Peter Menash (Spartacus) appears as a Numidian Chieftain who formed a close bond with Lucius. Matt Lucas (Little Britain), Rory McCann (Game of Thrones), Alec Utgoff (Stranger Things) all appear in small roles. Gladiator 2‘s cast is full of impressive talent, many of whom shine in just a few scenes of the epic film.