- The first trailer for Gladiator 2 shows Lucious, played by Paul Mescal, battling Marcus Acacius, played by Pedro Pascal.
- In the original Gladiator film, young Lucius was played by Spencer Treat Clark.
- Here’s why Clarke won’t be reprising the role for Gladiator 2:
“GladiatorThe sequel hits theaters on Tuesday, and fans are wondering why Paul Mescal is playing Lucious, the slave warrior, instead of Spencer Treat Clark, who played him in the original.
Starred in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” Russell Crowe Maximus Decimus Meridius, a former Roman general, is betrayed and sold into slavery. Lucius, heir to the Roman Empire, watches Maximus fight in the Colosseum.
The 2000 film is one of the most beloved historical epics of all time, winning five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.Gladiator 2“To live up to the high expectations that the original created.”
The first trailer for Gladiator 2, which hits theaters on November 22, suggests that Lucius has disappeared after the events of the first film and gone on to forge a life of his own. But like Maximus, he is captured by General Marcus Acacius and forced to become a warrior (Pedro Pascal) and his soldiers.
Scott chose Mescal to play Lucious in the sequel because the Irish actorNormal person“, “Aftersun” and “All of Us Strangers.”
However, “Gladiator” fans on social media Given that Clarke is still working as an actor, it’s odd that Scott hasn’t asked him to reprise the role.
Scott said he needed someone younger to play Lucious in Gladiator 2.
Clark, now 36, played the role of Joseph Dunn in “Unbreakable.” Bruce Willis He later reprised the role in 2019’s Glass. He has also appeared in several TV shows, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Animal Kingdom, and Manhunt.
Last November, Scott deadline He said he wanted to cast a younger actor for the role of Lucious in “Gladiator II,” and was impressed with the 28-year-old Mescal’s performance in “Normal People.”
Scott said, “I’m always looking for someone who’s got something new and fresh. Freshness is very important. So they’re… that’s a terrible word to say, carrying the baggage of what they’ve done before, because it’s great work, but you remember that he’s just played this character already.”
“I watched a show called ‘Normal People.’ It’s an unusual show for me, but I thought it was interesting to watch. The actors are just amazing. I watched the whole show and I was like, oh my goodness.”
He added: “So they needed a 23- or 24-year-old to take over the role of Lucious and this idea came up. And I just said, ‘Do you want to do it?’ And he said, ‘Yes.'”
A representative for Spencer Treat Clark did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Correction: July 11, 2024 — An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the first “Gladiator” film won the Academy Award for Best Director.
