
Don’t call it Gladiator: The Next Generation, but in the latest trailer for Gladiator II, it seems that the highly anticipated sequel to Ridley Scott’s sandals-and-swords masterpiece is busting out a very popular trope. In the new action-packed full-length trailer for Gladiator II, the identity of the film’s titular gladiator, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is fully revealed. And this twist is the type that now seems mandatory in legacy franchise sequels.
That’s right, Paul Mescal is playing Russell Crowe’s son in the movie. In the new trailer, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) reveals that Lucius is the son of Maximus, Crowe’s heroic badass from the original film. In the trailer, Lucilla says: “Take your father’s strength. His name was Maximus. And I see him in you.”