Ridley Scott has been very active these past few years delivering film after film of varying genres. The master filmmaker has been entertaining audiences since the 70s and some of his films like Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator have become some of the most iconic films of all time. However, the director’s recent works have not lived up to the audience’s expectations.
After films like The Last Duel, House of Gucci and Napoleon not doing well at the box office, Scott is aiming to strike back with Gladiator II. The film is a sequel to the beloved 2000 film Gladiator starring Russell Crowe. The sequel will see the return of some familiar characters from the first film. However, Djimon Hounsou’s Juba will not make an appearance in the hotly anticipated sequel.
Gladiator Fans Won’t Be Happy With The Absence Of Djimon Hounsou’s Juba In Gladiator II
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator introduced audiences to the world of Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius played by Russell Crowe and his journey to take revenge against Commodus for his enormous betrayal. Maximus’ emotional story and the intense battles in the Colosseum enthralled audiences and the film went on to win several Oscars.
During his journey as a Gladiator, Maximus befriends Djimon Hounsou‘s Juba, a fellow enslaved arena fighter and they become close friends. Juba supports Maximus’s efforts in avenging his family and defeating Commodus. When Maximum dies at the end, Juba buries figurines of his wife and his kid at the spot where he is buried.
It seemed like Juba had a lot of story to be told if a sequel was ever done. When Gladiator II was announced with Scott returning to direct, everyone hoped that Hounsou would return as his fan-favorite character from the first film. Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla is set to return in the sequel and thus it made sense for Juba to also be a part of the continuing story which follows a grown-up Lucius.
However, in late 2023, Hounsou told BroBible that he wouldn’t be returning in the sequel stating “Honestly, no. And this was a pure accident in the way it unfolded. I was going to be part of it. Circumstances dictated it to be something different”. It seemed that he was originally supposed to be a part of the film but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts.
Fans won’t be pleased with the omission of a key character from the first film who could have had a great future with the sequel. Juba’s absence will certainly be felt while fans watch Gladiator II and it remains to be seen if Scott has cooked up a great story that would make up for this glaring omission.
Gladiator II Will Feature The Biggest Action Set Piece Ridley Scott Has Ever Done
Ridley Scott has done his fair share of epic action sequences that feature an immense scale and visual spectacle. Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, and Napoleon each had some breathtaking action sequences in them. However, Scott is going to top himself with the level of action in Gladiator II.
In an interview with Empire, the director revealed that the beginning of the film will feature possibly the biggest action sequence that he’s ever done in his career. He further stated that the opening scene will certainly be bigger than anything from his last film Napoleon. Scott said
We begin the film with probably the biggest action sequence I’ve ever done. Probably bigger than anything in Napoleon. I have this thing that can do 40 miles an hour, spin on the spot, wag its head, and snarl. I mean, it’s a lot of fun.
The first trailer for the film heavily focused on Paul Mescal’s Lucius and his journey to defeat the invading Roman general Marcus Acacius. In addition to Mescal, Gladiator II will also star Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.
The film will hit theatres on November 22, 2024.
Fans can watch 2000’s Gladiator on Prime Video.
