Pedro Pascal has become the latest actor to join Ridley Scott's highly-anticipated Gladiator 2. The legendary director is returning to helm a sequel to his award-winning film from 2000 for his next project, which will be set roughly 30 years after the original movie and follow an older Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), as he becomes emperor. In addition to Mescal and Nielsen, Gladiator 2 has already cast Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington in supporting roles.
Now, another high-profile actor appears to have joined the growing ensemble. According to Deadline, Pascal is now in final negotiations to join the Gladiator 2 cast. Details regarding his potential role are being kept under wraps, but he would likely film his part before shooting The Last of Us season 2.
The Gladiator 2 Cast Could Outdo The Original Movie
With an array of accomplished actors lining up to join the Gladiator 2 cast, Scott's sequel has a real chance at rivaling the first film in that regard. For its first casting decision, Gladiator 2's lead role went to Mescal, who has already had his breakthrough in the Hulu miniseries Normal People and was nominated for an Academy Award for his quietly devastating performance in Aftersun. Compare this to Russell Crowe, who was virtually unknown before his performance as Maximus in Gladiator won him an Academy Award.
Gladiator 2 has also secured Nielsen's return as Lucilla and cast the beloved Stranger Things breakout Quinn as Emperor Caracalla. Also starring as Emperor Geta is Keoghan, who wowed audiences with limited screen time as The Joker in The Batman and recently received an Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin. One or both of these Emperor roles could be similar to Joaquin Phoenix's Emperor Commodus, which earned the acclaimed actor his first Oscar nomination. Last but not least, the legendary Washington also stars in an undisclosed role, marking a reunion with Scott after 2007's American Gangster.
Pascal, who has sparked some serious award-season chatter with his stoic performance as Joel in The Last of Us, is now the latest standout star to join Gladiator 2 in an undisclosed role. As the sixth actor cast, it's likely Pascal won't play a big role, especially considering he's soon due to reprise his leading role in The Last of Us season 2. However, as evidenced by Game of Thrones, Pascal has a tendency to steal scenes even with limited screen time.
Source: Deadline