According to Ridley Scott, the director is already “toying” with a threequel – but he’s doing it Gladiator 2 did the ending create enough questions left to be answered?

For many fans, it’s a miracle that we even get one new movie in the world of Gladiators, let alone a potential third. But if reports are to be believed, we won’t be waiting another 20 years.

Nick Cave’s undeveloped screenplay follows of Russell Crowe Afterlife Maximus probably won’t be the subject, but Paul Mescal’s Lucius has taken up the mantle of Rome’s freedom.

As expected, there’s a lot to unpack in Scott’s sequel. But what happens in the ending of Gladiator 2 and three is a crowd? Warning: major spoilers ahead!

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Before we dive into Gladiator 2’s ending, let’s set the scene. After about 20 years the death of MaximusLucius (Paul Mescal) lives in Numidia as a grown man. He has a wife of his own, with his home life mirroring how we were first introduced to Crowe’s hero outside of the war. Oddly, Lucius is also an army general.

We meet him as he faces the Roman army, led by their general Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). Numidia falls, people die – including Lucius’ wife – and the rest are shipped off to the Empire. Here, Mescal is picked from the transport of slave traders and handed over to a certain Macrinus (Denzel Washington).

Macrinus has his own agenda – pick the best of the best gladiators, train them to fight, and then use them as tools to power his way to the throne. At the same time, Acacius returns home as a hero to the emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). The people love him, but his leaders warn that Acacius must continue to conquer if he wants to be left alone.

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We’re also re-introduced to Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), better known as Maximus’ girlfriend and Lucius’ mother. She is now married to Acacius and mostly keeps a low profile from Geta and Caracalla. She still has allies like Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi) and tries to get back at her son when she learns he is now a Gladiator.

As expected, Lucius begins to rise through the gladiator ranks, becoming more respected by his fellow slaves the more he fights. He bites a monkey to death in a mini-arena (where we see a number of Numidian soldiers dead), fights a guy twice his size at a party for emperors, and decapitates a rival with a rhinoceros in very real Colosseum.

Lucius goes on to make one thing clear, though. No matter how many others fall by the wayside, or how much grueling training he must go through (there are many), he will never act in Macrinus’ self-interest. At this stage, Macrinus doesn’t really appreciate how serious Lucius is about getting into this.

A lot of people are killed

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This is a Gladiator movie, so halfway through, our cast starts to fizzle out. Lucilla and Acacius are secretly trying to overthrow Geta and Caracalla, who are tyrannical monsters. Their plans are foiled before they can take off, and Acacius is forced to fight Lucius as punishment.

By this point, Lucius had assumed Acacius to be an enemy—after all, he killed his wife and most of his city. But here he realizes that Acacius is loyal to his beliefs Marcus Aurelius. As Lucilla is forced to watch, this is somehow transmitted between the two, causing them to lay down their weapons in defiance. Geta signals to the guards and Acacius is killed. The crowd turns towards him, suggesting the beginning of a rebellion.

However, things remain frosty between Lucilla and Lucius. They talk about his father, and Lucius even gets his ring from the original movie, but there’s still a general sense of distrust.

Meanwhile, things are not much better for Geta. Macrinus massaged the egos of absolutely everyone in the political sphere and convinced Caracalla that his brother must be killed. After seeking some courage from Dondas’ monkey, Caracalla beheaded him as a crowd of angry Roman citizens raged outside. Geta is used as a sacrifice to try to placate the people, with Macrinus now in full control of Caracalla.

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The next day, Geta’s head is brought to the Senate as a warning. Macrinus is approaching the throne and no one can stop him. Caracalla names it as the second council (with Dondas the monkey as the first council, obviously), apparently unaware that it is being played.

This is where things kick into high gear. All hell breaks loose at the Colosseum, with Macrinus revealed as the villain he truly is after cunningly murdering Caracalla on sight. Effectively, Macrinus is left as the new leader of Rome – let’s face it, it’s not like Dondas can complain.

At the bottom of the arena, Lucius begins to mobilize the other gladiators to fight against the powers that be. We’ve seen quite a few flashbacks of Maximus up to this point, but his legacy now takes on a whole new meaning.

Finally, it’s Lucius Vs. Macrinus

The ending of Gladiator 2 sees Lucius confronts Macrinus in a final battle, with Macrinus killed in a nearby stream. Rome’s armies agree to stop fighting, with the new leader Lucius left alone to emancipate the enslaved.

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Here’s what’s happening on the surface. With the help of Maximus’ ring (we see Lucilla give it to him in tow), Lucius succeeds in bringing word to Acacius’ army on the outskirts of the city. About 5,000 soldiers are there and have been called in to help and essentially overthrow Macrinus.

Unopposed, Macrinus is able to gather his 5,000 soldiers to try to intercept them. It is now a three-way battle between Lucius’ two armies and gladiators. There is a catch though – Lucilla is tied to a pillar in the middle of the Coliseum as bait, with several Macrinus friends about to kill her.

Only defectors like Gracchus are on hand to defend it, so Lucius must repel them before they can reach either army. As you can imagine, an absolute bloodbath ensues and leaves everyone dead except Lucius himself. Just as he is about to untie her, Lucilla is killed with an arrow, and Lucius is left to mourn her death…just a few feet from where he saw his father die.

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However, this is only half the battle. Lucius must suck it up and head for the outskirts of Rome where both armies are about to meet. Macrinus leads his troops while Lucius intercepts the others. Before any blood can be spilled, Lucius tries to talk to Macrinus, one-on-one.

While Lucius is lobbying for Rome’s freedom, Macrinus is having none of it. There’s only one thing left to do – be the last man standing. Both armies follow as the pair engage in an epic battle in a nearby stream, with Lucius emerging victorious.

Macrinus has his hand cut off before drowning, leaving Lucius to address both armies. He calls for an end to all fighting, emancipation for slaves, and basically everything Marcus Aurelius has been trying to change since the beginning of the first movie.

Fortunately, they all agree and there is peace in the Empire…for now.

Is there an after credits scene?

Not, there is no post-credits scene in Gladiator 2. However, fans will likely be talking about the final image seen in the film.

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As the sequel ends, the parting shot shows the hand of an unnamed person floating through a field of golden wheat. Fans will likely recognize that Maximus is watching from the afterlife (think Nick Cave’s vision of what might have been), perhaps at peace knowing that the “prophecy” has come true.

However, this is not confirmed and remains ambiguous. What we do know for sure is that it’s not Crowe himself, even though he’s supposed to be Maximus. We see numerous flashbacks to him throughout the film, but all of these images come from the original.

Aside from the obvious reasons, it’s a move that makes sense. Lucius not only honored his father in spirit, but physically used both his ring and Maxmius’ armor to win his own battle. Maximus’ legacy is an essential part of the plot, and it’s a fitting farewell to assume he’s finally reconciled.

Will there be a Gladiator 3?

Nothing is confirmed at this stage – but as we’ve already mentioned, Gladiator 3 isn’t something Scott has ruled out.

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According to the French magazine Premiere, Scott explicitly “I’m already toying with the idea of ​​Gladiator 3. No, seriously! I lit the fuse. The ending of Gladiator II is reminiscent of The Godfather, with Michael Corleone finding himself with a job he didn’t want and wondering, “Now, Dad, what do I do? “So the next (film) is going to be about a man who doesn’t want to be where he is.”

Given what we’ve just seen, this route makes the most sense. Now it’s solely on Lucius’ shoulders to build Rome back up – and if the Year of the Five Emperors is anything to go by, there’s likely to be someone else coming out of the woodwork to challenge him for leadership.

Other possible alternatives could include a prequel following the earlier reign of Marcus Aurelius before his death in 180 AD. or following Maximus as he rises through the ranks to become a general.

Gladiator 2 hits cinemas on November 15 in the UK and November 22 in the US. catch up filming locations, why the sequel is uglyand when it takes place.

You can also check out more streaming new movies this month.