As a sequel to the 2000 historic epicGladiator, director Ridley Scott’s film,Gladiator II,featured another vast, gruesome battle to free the people of the Roman Empire from tyranny.New characters inGladiator II, like Pedro Pascal’s Acacius and Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, are seen fighting for control alongside characters from the original movie, including Lucius and Lucilla. As such,2024’s Gladiator IIfeatures plenty of schemes and wars being carried out in and outside the Colosseum.
Though the film began with Geta and Caracalla ruling the Roman Empire, there were plenty of good and bad people who hoped and fought to overthrow these ruthless warmongers.Though the heroes succeeded in freeing Rome from their evil rulers,Gladiator IIfeatured many plot twiststhat didn’t bode well for everyone in the film. This includes Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla, who was at the helm working to take down the Emperors, only to face many unexpected surprises.
Acacius & Lucilla Planned To Overthrow Rome’s Emperors Caracalla & Geta
Lucilla Planned Another Rebellion Against Rome’s Corrupt Leaders
Lucilla is no stranger to leading rebellions. She famously fought alongside Maximus to take back control of Rome from her evil brother Commodus, who usurped the throne after murdering their father inGladiator.However,16 years later in theGladiator 2timeline,Lucilla intended to overthrow the corrupt Emperors Caracalla and Getain the sequel. The corrupt rulers wanted to conquer as many lands as possible, despite there being too many mouths to feed. Believing in her father’s ideals, Lucilla hoped to put an end to the Emperors' oppressive ways and make Rome a better place.
Gladiator II Star Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla Navigates Ancient Rome & Power In Ridley Scott Sequel
Screen Rant interviews Gladiator and Gladiator II star Connie Nielsen about reprising her role as Lucilla in Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel.
Like in the firstGladiatorfilm,Lucilla had old allies within the Roman Senate who also wished to lead Rome the right way,includingDerek Jacobi’s Senator Gracchus from the firstGladiator. The sequel also depicted Lucilla with a new ally in the form of her new husband, General Acacius. Though he had led the Roman army in slaughtering countless people in their global conquest, it was clear Acacius was sick of leading people into fighting senseless wars on behalf of the power-hungry emperors. Thus, Acacius aligned himself with Lucilla to help put an end to all the bloodshed inGladiator II.
Acacius' Plan To Invade Rome With His Army Explained
Acacius And His Army Could’ve Taken Rome From The Emperors
Acacius proved to be the most essential part of Lucilla’s plan to overthrowEmperors Geta and Caracalla inGladiator II. As a revered General of the Roman Army,Acacius had 5,000 soldiers loyal to him waiting for his command in Ulster. With his army at his side, Acacius planned to invade Rome, swarm the Colosseum, and arrest Geta and Caracalla for crimes against the Senate. Acacius scheduled this uprising for the last day of the gladiator games, which were held to celebrate his conquering of Numidia.
Lucilla’s Influence In Gladiator II’s Men-Dominated World Teased By Star Connie Nielsen: “She Knows That The Future Is Freedom”
EXCLUSIVE: Gladiator II star Connie Nielsen opens up about Lucilla’s influence on the male-dominated setting and the sheer depth of her character.
Acacius proved himself to be a capable leader and warrior with his shattering victory over the people of Numidia in the film’s first act. It was obvious that Acacius could’ve taken over Rome and taken down the Emperors if things had gone according to plan. Unfortunately, Acacius could not summon his army to take back Rome due to his untimely death in the Colosseum. Nevertheless,Lucius was able to call upon Acacius’s soldiers later in the film,using his status as the son of war hero Maximus to win their loyalty.
Lucilla Wants To Change The Plan After Lucius' Arrival In Roma
Lucilla Wanted To Save Both Rome And Her Son In Gladiator II
Though Acacius and Lucilla’s plan to take back Rome seemed foolproof, the latter changed tactics due to an unexpected visitor fighting the Colosseum, who was ironically put there by Acacius himself. After the gladiator Hanno displayed his skills in the arena,Lucilla discovered that he was her long-lost son Lucius,whom she had sent away to protect him from their political rivals. His arrival complicates this even more due to his desire to kill Acacius for causing the death of his wife during the battle of Numidia.
Gladiator II’s Paul Mescal Addresses The Pressure Of Inheriting Russell Crowe’s Spot In The Sequel 24 Years After The Original
EXCLUSIVE: Paul Mescal talks about the pressure he feels taking over the role of franchise lead from Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2.
While Lucilla was willing to put her life on the line for the good of Rome, as a true mother,she made it clear she didn’t want to sacrifice her son. Fearing Lucius wouldn’t survive the games, Lucilla delayed her plans so Acacius could free her son from the Colosseum, despite him hating both of them. Unfortunately, during this attempted prison break, Lucilla and Acacius were discovered and arrested by the Emperors due to another unforeseen interference.
How Acacius & Lucilla’s Plan Was Discovered
A Gambling Senator Helped Macrinus Take Down The Rebellion
Lucius wasn’t the only one who threw a wrench into his mother’s plans inGladiator II. The corrupt Senator Thraex had gotten in the way of the rebellion after he discovered Acacius and Lucilla’s plan. Since he owed Macrinus a lot of money after betting against him in the games,Thraex informed the latter of the duo’s conspiracy in order to pay off his debt. Seeing it as a way to win the Emperors' favor and gain power, Macrinus warned Geta and Caracalla about the planned insurrection ahead of time.
Macrinus' Gladiator II Backstory & Motivations Detailed By Ridley Scott & Creative Team: “He’s Obviously Not From Rome”
The motivations and backstory of Denzel Washington’s Gladiator II character, Macrinus, are explained by director Ridley Scott and his creative team.
As a result, the Emperors arrested Acacius and Lucilla and nearly executed the duo on the spot. However,Geta and Caracalla instead chose to have Acacius fight Lucius in the Colosseum with Lucilla in attendance. This made for a tragic twist of fate, as Lucilla was forced to watch her husband fight her son to the death. By taking down Acacius and Lucilla, Macrinus worked his way up to the top and took the throne for himself. Technically,Acacius and Lucilla helped him rebel against the Emperors, only for a new tyrant to replace Geta and Caracalla.
Though Lucilla and Acacius’s efforts did help Lucius win in the end,Gladiator IIstill made for a darker and more surprising follow-up to the original film.
All in all,Gladiator IIrepeats its predecessor’s story by having Lucilla secretly working to reclaim control of the Roman Empire from its wicked rulers. However, the sequel puts a new spin on a classic tale by having characters like Lucius, Thraex, and Macrinus interfere with the rebellion. While Lucilla and Acacius could’ve won and made for much better leaders of Rome,the movie took a shocking turn with their characters and killed them both off. Though Lucilla and Acacius’s efforts did help Lucius win in the end,Gladiator IIstill made for a darker and more surprising follow-up to the original film.
