Even Russell Crowe Will Bend the Knee to Paul Mescal’s Gladiator 2 First Look after Saying He Was “Slightly uncomfortable” With the Sequel

Russell Crowe found worldwide fame when he starred as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius around 24 years earlier in 2002’s Gladiator. The movie not only earned him an Academy Award, but it became a classic historical drama and was loosely based on actual happenings around AD 180 in the Roman Empire.

Now, as fans await a huge anticipated sequel in the form of Gladiator II, Russell Crowe has had his say on the upcoming Universal Pictures offering. Hilariously revealing the tinge of jealousy that he feels as he has no way of being a part of the sequel, Crowe also revealed that he was ‘slightly uncomfortable’ with some of the aspects of the upcoming movie, that he has heard about.

Russell Crowe is not the happiest person in the world with updates regarding Gladiator II

Crowe was undoubtedly phenomenal in the first movie and played the role of the noble Roman General with an impressive attitude. However, his character did end up dying in the movie, which in itself is loosely based on historical happenings, just like the upcoming sequel.

Set to revolve around Lucius Verus, whose child version was played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original, the sequel stars Paul Mescal, whose first images from the movie set were released recently. Undoubtedly looking the part, it comes days Crowe’s interview on Kyle Meredith With, which delved into the upcoming flick.

Paul Mescal on the set of ‘GLADIATOR ll’ https://t.co/JDvJl1CAyX

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 11, 2024

Crowe claimed initially that he had minor qualms with the narration of the upcoming flick, although his feelings might be corrupted by, well jealousy:

I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done. But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like — no, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place, I’m six foot under. So we’ll see what that is like.

Of course, while Crowe was majorly speaking about the situation in jest, a part of the veteran actor is bound to feel a bit left out.

Russell Crowe quips about being jealous due to Gladiator II

Gladiator II in itself delves into a character who wouldn’t have been alive had it not been for Crowe’s Decimus Meridius. The character is seen saving Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus in the movie, whose nephew starts off his life in wilderness, but is a former heir to the Roman Empire.

Gladiator II is set to delve into his rise, and will see Lucius’s rise to the throne, who becomes the Roman Emperor from 161 AD to 169 AD. Considering the fact that Russell Crowe’s character is dead, and there is no way for him to return, and also that the second movie will focus on a character who is so uniquely linked with his own, a bit of FOMO is bound to arise.

That is exactly what Crowe suggested in the recent interview as well:

It does, in a funny way — I reflect back: the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it, the doors that particular movie opened for me. This is just me being purely honest: there’s definitely a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy.” He then quipped, “I remember when I had tendons.

Of course, at the same time, Crowe will wish nothing but the best to the upcoming sequel, and was merely making jokes about a situation which simply cannot be helped, unless Crowe returns in some sort of flashback scenes. 

Gladiator II will arrive in theaters on November 22, 2024,