Will any original characters from Gladiator be in the sequel?

Key Takeaways

• Gladiator 2 introduces new characters, like Lucius, grandson of Marcus Aurelius, who becomes a gladiator.
• Some original characters returning include Lucilla, played by Connie Nielson, and Senator Gracchus, played by Derek Jacobi.
• The main cast of Gladiator 2 is small, offering the potential for a few familiar faces from the first film to appear.

No one was expecting a sequel to Gladiator, let alone one that took nearly 25 years to come out, and yet here we are. Ridley Scott is taking us back to the Roman arena for the next chapter in this epic historical adventure. As a cool bit of continuity, this sequel will take place over 20 years after the events of the first film, nearly matching the time between the films. It will introduce us to the grandson of emperor Marcus Aurelius, Lucius, who is captured by a Roman general and forced into slavery. Knowing the legend of Maximus, he commits himself to becoming a gladiator.

The trailer for Gladiator 2 has shown off plenty of new cast members for the film, but fans of the first will be looking for any hints of returning characters. There are some we wouldn’t expect to come back for obvious story reasons, but there are plenty who could theoretically make an appearance here. However, 24 years is a long time between films and some actors may not even want to reprise their roles if offered. Let’s enter the Colosseum and go over the entire cast list and see if any original characters will show up in the sequel.We will not be spoiling any plot details from either Gladiator movie beyond who is cast in the sequel.

Will any original characters from Gladiator be in the sequel?

Get ready to meet a whole new cast of Romans

The main cast of Gladiator 2 is fairly contained with only seven major characters. Here are all the new characters, who plays them, and the brief description we have of who they are:

• Lucius: Played by Paul Mescal, Lucius is the heir to the throne, though unaware of his lineage. He will be captured and follow in Maximus’ footsteps as a gladiatorial warrior.
• Marcus: Pedro Pascal joins the cast as Roman general Marcus who once served under Maximus.
• Macrinus: Denzel Washington will play a former slave who mentors gladiators, including Lucius, with greater ambitions against Rome.
• Emperor Geta: Played by Joseph Quinn, is the current co-emperor alongside their brother Caracalla.
• Emperor Caracalla: Brother of Geta, co-emperor, and played by Fred Hechinger.

All the returning characters in Gladiator 2

A handful of actors are back

In terms of those original characters, we only have three that will appear in Gladiator 2:

• Lucilla: Connie Nielson will once again play the former lover of Maximus and helped him take down her brother Commodus. In Gladiator 2, she will be the mother of Lucius.
• Senator Gracchus: Derek Jacobi has been confirmed to be returning to this role, but no plot details about what we can expect have been released
• Juba: Djimon Hounsou will pick his sword back up as another gladiator from the original. Whether or not he actually is still forced to fight is unknown.