Talk of a newly completed Gladiator sequel script has surfaced once again - but Gladiator 2 should never see the light of day. Original Gladiator director Ridley Scott seems dead set on reviving his great Roman drama, with the veteran filmmaker confirming via Empire Magazine that his attention will turn to a Gladiator sequel after his latest project, the Napoleon-based Kitbag, is completed. Yet a return to Maximus' (Russell Crowe) enduring legacy seems particularly bold given the original, standalone feature earned over $400 million worldwide and was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning Best Picture and Best Actor respectively in 2000, and seemingly ended on a definitive note.
The original Gladiator is a sublime piece of cinema that intricately weaves themes of revenge, honor, and political intrigue throughout its narrative, enrapturing a generation of post-Millenium audiences. Although Gladiator is often remembered for its gratuitous, largely historically accurate violence, the film is underscored by a reservoir of emotion as Maximus is finally reunited with his family in the golden fields of Elysium as the perfect coda to his arduous journey. Gladiator's cultural impact has since spanned far beyond cinema, with the film's mainstream success responsible for a marked increase in Roman and classical history in the early 2000s dubbed the "Gladiator Effect."
Yet despite the pristine legacy of Gladiator to date, Ridley Scott is pushing forward with Gladiator 2 plans that could very well tarnish the original film's memory. While there is a current temptation within the contemporary culture to revive nostalgic franchises, there is simply no sequel idea that can surpass the perfect symmetry of the original Gladiator movie. Here's why Gladiator 2 should never see the light of day, as well as what Ridley Scott's ill-advised sequel might look like.
Why Gladiator's Ending Is Perfect
The end of Gladiator sees Maximus confront the heinous Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) within Rome's great gladiatorial arena, featuring a battle that brings together the film's narrative threads in a final, bloody crescendo. Stabbed by Commodus before their fight, the returning gladiator Maximus is still able to defeat his opponent before collapsing to the ground as his soul is reunited with his family in Elysium. He is then honored as a soldier of Rome as he brings democracy back to the capital and restores his family's honor. Gladiator then ends with Juba (Djimon Hounsou) visiting the Colosseum at night and burying the figurines of Maximus's wife and son at the spot where he died before promising to see Maximus again - "but not yet."
Gladiator's ending resolves every theme and question its own runtime poses, with most of these linking back to Maximus' mortality and quest to avenge his family. Maximus killing Commodus redeems him in the eyes of his family, who he was not able to initially save, while also freeing Lucilla (Wonder Woman's Connie Nielsen) from her emotional "cage." In defeating his foe, Maximus also makes good on his promise to Marcus Aurelius, returning Rome to a democratic republic and placing it in the hands of the people once more. Furthermore, Maximus' final reunion with his family is his character's singular driving purpose, closing his character arc in a perfect loop that begins and ends with his family reunion in the afterlife. Given the satisfying nature of this conclusion, therefore, any moves towards a follow-up could risk upsetting the sense of balance brought about by the original ending.
What Could Gladiator 2 Be About?
While fresh Gladiator 2 headlines are coming to the fore, this is not the first time a premise for a Gladiator sequel has been touted. The titular Bad Seeds frontman Nick Cave was, in fact, the first to pen a Gladiator 2 script at leading man Russel Crowe's behest, with the final version amounting to a bizarre and fantastical multi-generational epic. Cave's Gladiator 2 draft sees Maximus initially languishing in purgatory before being resurrected by the Roman gods, who have become concerned with the rise of Christianity and demand Jesus' death. Despite his best efforts, Maximus predictably fails to kill the son of god, instead accidentally killing his own son, who, in a grim twist, is none other than Lucius (Lucilla's child). To compound this tale's left-field approach, Maximus' resurrection leaves him in a permanent, undying state, with the final 20 minutes of Cave's proposed Gladiator showing Maximus fighting in every major war through the centuries before ending with a shot of the legionnaire standing in modern-day New York. While Nick Cave himself has since stated he did not seriously expect this version of the Gladiator 2 story to be made, for a long time, this was the only Gladiator sequel to exist past idea form.
Lately, however, a less strange and more realistic version of Gladiator 2 seems likely to come to the fore. As first reported by Deadline in November 2018, a sequel penned by Top Gun: Maverick screenwriter Peter Craig has been met with approval from Ridley Scott. Doing away with the Maximus versus Christ scenario, Craig's more grounded Gladiator 2 instead focuses on Lucius, Lucilla's son, whose life has been profoundly influenced by Maximus' tutelage and actions 20 years prior as he rules over Rome. While details have remained scant since this brief announcement, Craig's Lucius-centric plot seems highly likely to be Ridley Scott's choice for Gladiator 2 moving forward.
Why Gladiator 2 Should Never See The Light of Day
If one film decidedly does not need a sequel, Ridley Scott's movie Gladiator is it. Gladiator's ending rounds off a near-perfect (and decidedly complete) piece of cinema that has stood the test of time, with Maximus' redemption and fulfilling the wishes of Marcus Aurelius closing a character arc that needs no further exploration. While Gladiator 2's advocates may argue for Craig's Lucius-based story to unfold, its current premise does not capture the imagination. Lucius' character exists as one of the most privileged in Rome, a position further heightened by the death of his corrupt uncle Commodus, and is a far cry indeed from the steely, tortured soul that ingratiated Maximus to audiences some 20 years ago.
Although it is highly unlikely veteran director Ridley Scott would allow a concept as farcical as Nick Cave's resurrection-themed Gladiator 2 to be taken seriously, Craig's measured approach could still prove equally dangerous for Gladiator's legacy. Bringing back any canon where Maximus existed opens the door for retcons, comparisons, and the erasure of his character's deeds over the course of the first film. Gladiator 2 re-writing the picturesque Gladiator ending can only serve as unequivocal proof that some franchises are best left untouched forever. In an age awash with reboots and revivals that sour the memory of their source material, Gladiator 2 should never see the light of day.