9 Things to Remember Before Seeing Gladiator II
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Are you ready to return to ancient Rome? Before you witness the next chapter in the Gladiator saga, join us as we recap the essential plot points from the original film. From epic battles to political intrigue, we'll refresh your memory on the key moments that set the stage for the highly anticipated sequel. Our breakdown includes Maximus' rise and fall, Commodus' treachery, the gladiatorial games, and the final confrontation that shaped the fate of Rome. Whether you're a die-hard fan or new to the series, this recap will ensure you're fully prepared for the next installment in this epic tale of revenge and redemption.
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the most important “Gladiator” plot points to remember going into Ridley Scott’s 2024 sequel, which stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington.
Maximus Led His Troops Into Battle
The Oscar-winning first “Gladiator” introduces the audience to Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius in spectacular fashion. A highly respected Roman general, Maximus is shown to possess keen strategic insights, in addition to his cool, calm, commanding presence (both of which serve him well later into the film). A rousing speech to his troops solidifies everything we need to know about Maximus. Crowe’s character’s words prove to be sufficient enough fuel, alongside his almost precognitive intuition, for his men to capture victory against Germanic tribes in what’s now modern-day Vienna, Austria.
Commodus Killed His Father, Marcus Aurelius[a]
Maximus’ considerable military victory is celebrated at a lively party, where the audience is introduced to Rome’s elite… and their internal tensions are quickly unearthed. Commodus, the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius as played by Joaquin Phoenix, is depicted as a selfish, aspiring tyrant. Crucially, we also meet Lucilla, Marcus’s daughter and the mother of Lucius, who will eventually lead “Gladiator II.” Shortly thereafter, we learn that Aurelius has chosen Maximus, rather than Commodus, to succeed him as emperor, citing the former’s unwavering moral character. Upon learning this, a humiliated, rage-stricken Commodus strangles his father to death, and thus forcibly claims the throne.
Commodus Betrayed Maximus
Seeking revenge on Maximus for taking what he feels is his birthright, Commodus claims that his elderly father died in his sleep. The future despot, fully aware that Maximus commands the army’s loyalty and respect, offers him one chance to join him. Maximus, knowing that this defies Marcus’s wishes, declines. The general is promptly apprehended by his own men on Commodus’ command. The soldiers nearly execute him in a nearby forest before Maximus narrowly overpowers them and makes his escape. Tragically, it’s far too late — by the time Maximus makes it home to his family, they’ve already been brutally slain. His soul broken, our hero is quickly recaptured, this time by slave traders who drag him to modern-day Miliana[b], Algeria.
Maximus Was Sold Into Slavery & Commodus Illicitly Claimed the Throne
In what was formerly referred to as Zuccabar[c], we meet the skilled negotiator Proximo, who acquires Maximus, as well as enslaved African gladiator Juba, played by Djimon Hounsou — the two strike up a kinship. Maximus and Juba unexpectedly find themselves subjects of unwanted attention after a masterful demonstration in the ring which sees them emerge victorious. Meanwhile, in Rome, Commodus’ ascendance to the throne is met with skepticism, mockery, and accusations of nepotism by the senate over his lack of experience and bad reputation. Commodus mocks their perceived ineffectiveness to their faces; privately, he tells Lucilla that he intends to rule as an all-powerful emperor.
Maximus Became “The Spaniard”
In a self-serving effort to win Rome’s affection, Commodus orders 150 days of gladiator games in the city to commemorate his father, Marcus Aurelius. Proximo, recognizing Maximus’ potential for greatness, meets with his star pupil, confiding in him that he, too, used to be a gladiator… that is, until Marcus granted Proximo his freedom. The slave handler takes Maximus under his wing, advising him to dazzle the crowd so that he may stand out and catch the Emperor’s eye. Of course, at this point, Proximo is totally unaware of Maximus’ connection to Commodus, as well as his true identity.
Commodus Descended Further Into Madness
While Maximus prepares for his first appearance in a Roman game, Lucilla becomes increasingly worried about Commodus’ deteriorating mental health, as well as his open plotting to dissolve the senate. In a clandestine meeting with Senators Gaius[d] and Gracchus, Lucilla shares that Commodus has even been curtailing free speech and jailing his critics. Perhaps most troublingly of all, she reveals to the senators that he has sold off the empire’s grain reserves to pay for the games at the people’s expense. Although the senators share Lucilla’s concerns, they insist that they must hold off, at least for the moment.
Maximus’ Identity Was Revealed to Rome
Maximus’s debut in the Roman games is a reenactment of the historical Battle of Zama[e] in Carthage. Ahead of the game, Maximus encounters Lucilla’s son (and future “Gladiator II” protagonist) Lucius, bonding with him. Although the gladiators are expected to be slaughtered en masse, Maximus puts his military training and years of expertise on the battlefield to good use, uniting his soldiers and delivering a wholly unexpected victory in the arena. His star performance leads to a face-to-face confrontation with Commodus, who demands that he reveal his identity — the emperor is understandably shocked to learn that he is, indeed, Maximus, whom he thought dead. Lucilla offers to help Maximus, with whom she’d once shared a romance; he rejects her offer, believing her to be an agent sent by her brother.
The Kingdom Fell
The aggrieved emperor becomes increasingly despondent and paranoid over Maximus’ rising star profile, feeling that he’s compelled to let the gladiator live so as not to martyr him. Feeling cornered, Commodus begins to put his plan to dissolve the Senate into place, ordering the sycophantic Senator Falco[f] to have his fellow senators tailed and surveilled. All the while, Maximus reconnects with Cicero, who reported to him in the military and recognized him from the crowd. Through Cicero, Maximus informs Lucilla that he has reconsidered her offer, and takes her up on it: that is, meeting with Senator Gracchus. Maximus informs a bewildered Gracchus of his plan to reclaim control of his men and kill Commodus, putting the late Marcus Aurelius’ wishes into place.
Maximus & Commodus Fought To the Death
Maximus’ valiant plan is thwarted, however, when Commodus receives word of it. Although the emperor orders the gladiators’ barracks destroyed, Proximo sacrifices himself for the greater good of Rome, allowing Maximus to make his escape. Unfortunately, it’s too late — Commodus has Cicero killed and Maximus captured once again. Arranging for a duel between the two, Commodus stabs Maximus ahead of the match for an unfair advantage. Despite this, Maximus comes out ahead by overpowering the emperor in a brutal, bloody one-on-one, ultimately killing him. Our hero, slowly bleeding out, shares Marcus Aurelius’s true last wishes, and asks for both the release of his fellow gladiators and the reinstatement of Senator Gracchus. Maximus’s physical body dies, and he is reunited with his wife and son in the afterlife.
What’s your favorite part of the Best Picture winner? Let us know in the comments below!
[a]oh-RAY-LEE-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/1191203b-a8e4-4ee4-aa92-1c6f346c9480
loo-SILL-uh https://youtu.be/Ln-37eirDYs?si=jvsR-zGNkflN7xQZ&t=33
LOO-shiss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/6991e880-a4ef-46ff-90d8-80dec0d8e002
[b]milly-AWNNA https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ar&tl=en&text=%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9&op=translate
[c]ZOO-KAH-bar? / ZOOKA-bar?
prock-SEE-moh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/4426100c-23aa-4f01-bebc-65007407e252
JOO-buh https://youtu.be/h3xZ0JV_l8U?si=3Tti3OV6KVA3jR5D&t=96
jee-MON hon-SOO - not JYE-mon https://youtu.be/gBVZi7neiQc?t=3
[d]GUY-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/f751ae59-de19-4a72-8ade-1af38ff6f880
GRACK-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/1fe0ca17-2ea3-4e14-9537-4e5a94ca83bc
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[f]FAL-coh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/f751ae59-de19-4a72-8ade-1af38ff6f880
Maximus Led His Troops Into Battle
The Oscar-winning first “Gladiator” introduces the audience to Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius in spectacular fashion. A highly respected Roman general, Maximus is shown to possess keen strategic insights, in addition to his cool, calm, commanding presence (both of which serve him well later into the film). A rousing speech to his troops solidifies everything we need to know about Maximus. Crowe’s character’s words prove to be sufficient enough fuel, alongside his almost precognitive intuition, for his men to capture victory against Germanic tribes in what’s now modern-day Vienna, Austria.
Commodus Killed His Father, Marcus Aurelius[a]
Maximus’ considerable military victory is celebrated at a lively party, where the audience is introduced to Rome’s elite… and their internal tensions are quickly unearthed. Commodus, the son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius as played by Joaquin Phoenix, is depicted as a selfish, aspiring tyrant. Crucially, we also meet Lucilla, Marcus’s daughter and the mother of Lucius, who will eventually lead “Gladiator II.” Shortly thereafter, we learn that Aurelius has chosen Maximus, rather than Commodus, to succeed him as emperor, citing the former’s unwavering moral character. Upon learning this, a humiliated, rage-stricken Commodus strangles his father to death, and thus forcibly claims the throne.
Commodus Betrayed Maximus
Seeking revenge on Maximus for taking what he feels is his birthright, Commodus claims that his elderly father died in his sleep. The future despot, fully aware that Maximus commands the army’s loyalty and respect, offers him one chance to join him. Maximus, knowing that this defies Marcus’s wishes, declines. The general is promptly apprehended by his own men on Commodus’ command. The soldiers nearly execute him in a nearby forest before Maximus narrowly overpowers them and makes his escape. Tragically, it’s far too late — by the time Maximus makes it home to his family, they’ve already been brutally slain. His soul broken, our hero is quickly recaptured, this time by slave traders who drag him to modern-day Miliana[b], Algeria.
Maximus Was Sold Into Slavery & Commodus Illicitly Claimed the Throne
In what was formerly referred to as Zuccabar[c], we meet the skilled negotiator Proximo, who acquires Maximus, as well as enslaved African gladiator Juba, played by Djimon Hounsou — the two strike up a kinship. Maximus and Juba unexpectedly find themselves subjects of unwanted attention after a masterful demonstration in the ring which sees them emerge victorious. Meanwhile, in Rome, Commodus’ ascendance to the throne is met with skepticism, mockery, and accusations of nepotism by the senate over his lack of experience and bad reputation. Commodus mocks their perceived ineffectiveness to their faces; privately, he tells Lucilla that he intends to rule as an all-powerful emperor.
Maximus Became “The Spaniard”
In a self-serving effort to win Rome’s affection, Commodus orders 150 days of gladiator games in the city to commemorate his father, Marcus Aurelius. Proximo, recognizing Maximus’ potential for greatness, meets with his star pupil, confiding in him that he, too, used to be a gladiator… that is, until Marcus granted Proximo his freedom. The slave handler takes Maximus under his wing, advising him to dazzle the crowd so that he may stand out and catch the Emperor’s eye. Of course, at this point, Proximo is totally unaware of Maximus’ connection to Commodus, as well as his true identity.
Commodus Descended Further Into Madness
While Maximus prepares for his first appearance in a Roman game, Lucilla becomes increasingly worried about Commodus’ deteriorating mental health, as well as his open plotting to dissolve the senate. In a clandestine meeting with Senators Gaius[d] and Gracchus, Lucilla shares that Commodus has even been curtailing free speech and jailing his critics. Perhaps most troublingly of all, she reveals to the senators that he has sold off the empire’s grain reserves to pay for the games at the people’s expense. Although the senators share Lucilla’s concerns, they insist that they must hold off, at least for the moment.
Maximus’ Identity Was Revealed to Rome
Maximus’s debut in the Roman games is a reenactment of the historical Battle of Zama[e] in Carthage. Ahead of the game, Maximus encounters Lucilla’s son (and future “Gladiator II” protagonist) Lucius, bonding with him. Although the gladiators are expected to be slaughtered en masse, Maximus puts his military training and years of expertise on the battlefield to good use, uniting his soldiers and delivering a wholly unexpected victory in the arena. His star performance leads to a face-to-face confrontation with Commodus, who demands that he reveal his identity — the emperor is understandably shocked to learn that he is, indeed, Maximus, whom he thought dead. Lucilla offers to help Maximus, with whom she’d once shared a romance; he rejects her offer, believing her to be an agent sent by her brother.
The Kingdom Fell
The aggrieved emperor becomes increasingly despondent and paranoid over Maximus’ rising star profile, feeling that he’s compelled to let the gladiator live so as not to martyr him. Feeling cornered, Commodus begins to put his plan to dissolve the Senate into place, ordering the sycophantic Senator Falco[f] to have his fellow senators tailed and surveilled. All the while, Maximus reconnects with Cicero, who reported to him in the military and recognized him from the crowd. Through Cicero, Maximus informs Lucilla that he has reconsidered her offer, and takes her up on it: that is, meeting with Senator Gracchus. Maximus informs a bewildered Gracchus of his plan to reclaim control of his men and kill Commodus, putting the late Marcus Aurelius’ wishes into place.
Maximus & Commodus Fought To the Death
Maximus’ valiant plan is thwarted, however, when Commodus receives word of it. Although the emperor orders the gladiators’ barracks destroyed, Proximo sacrifices himself for the greater good of Rome, allowing Maximus to make his escape. Unfortunately, it’s too late — Commodus has Cicero killed and Maximus captured once again. Arranging for a duel between the two, Commodus stabs Maximus ahead of the match for an unfair advantage. Despite this, Maximus comes out ahead by overpowering the emperor in a brutal, bloody one-on-one, ultimately killing him. Our hero, slowly bleeding out, shares Marcus Aurelius’s true last wishes, and asks for both the release of his fellow gladiators and the reinstatement of Senator Gracchus. Maximus’s physical body dies, and he is reunited with his wife and son in the afterlife.
What’s your favorite part of the Best Picture winner? Let us know in the comments below!
[a]oh-RAY-LEE-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/1191203b-a8e4-4ee4-aa92-1c6f346c9480
loo-SILL-uh https://youtu.be/Ln-37eirDYs?si=jvsR-zGNkflN7xQZ&t=33
LOO-shiss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/6991e880-a4ef-46ff-90d8-80dec0d8e002
[b]milly-AWNNA https://translate.google.ca/?sl=ar&tl=en&text=%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A9&op=translate
[c]ZOO-KAH-bar? / ZOOKA-bar?
prock-SEE-moh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/4426100c-23aa-4f01-bebc-65007407e252
JOO-buh https://youtu.be/h3xZ0JV_l8U?si=3Tti3OV6KVA3jR5D&t=96
jee-MON hon-SOO - not JYE-mon https://youtu.be/gBVZi7neiQc?t=3
[d]GUY-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/f751ae59-de19-4a72-8ade-1af38ff6f880
GRACK-iss https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/1fe0ca17-2ea3-4e14-9537-4e5a94ca83bc
[e]ZAW-muh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/2ef2e8ee-4651-4008-8bae-6248dfe8e9c5
[f]FAL-coh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/f751ae59-de19-4a72-8ade-1af38ff6f880
