Lucilla will have some serious depth inGladiator II, especially given her influence in the male-dominated society.The upcomingGladiatorsequelfollows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) in the decades after Maximus' death. A gladiator himself, Lucius will be fighting before all of Rome as he strains to earn his revenge against the Empire. He will be warring against Emperors Caracalla and Geta, played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively.Connie Nielsen will also be reprising her role as Lucillaand is one of the few cast members returning from the original movie.
In an interview withScreen Rant’s Joe Deckelmeier, Nielsen explained the details of Lucilla’s inner turmoil. After suffering from repression throughout the first movie,Lucilla still struggles to maintain her own integrity. Though she remains a hostage, her inner strength will set her apart from the majority of the male-dominated setting’s cast. Check out Nielsen’s quote below:
The way people who are repressed and have been repressed throughout history have done. And that is the knowledge that the internal integrity of every human being is essential. Whatever we call power out there is Fat Morgan. It does not exist. What is the real power is in you as a human and that integrity of that human self and the freedom to pursue that, whether it’s even through the loss of life, that is what is power. And she knows that, and she keeps that personal integrity even as she’s being used as a hostage, a golden hostage to sort of legitimize these completely illegitimate rulers. She knows thatthe future is freedomand that the only type of legitimacy lies in mutual respect and the respect for a certain type of values that these people do not have, and that is her power. No one can vanquish that.
What Lucilla’s Influence Means For Gladiator II
Gladiator IIShould Portray Lucilla More Prominently
WhenGladiatorwas released in 2000, it did not focus heavily on its female cast members. Russell Crowe was the undisputed star, andLucilla’s role was as a supporting cast memberand a victim of Commodus' advances.Gladiator’s ending was not historically accurate, which makes predicting the events of the sequel far more difficult. What is confirmed is that, in the follow-up, Commodus is dead, and Lucilla will be left to raise Lucius alone. She broke free of her golden cage but may find herself in another.
GladiatorIIis expected to take place approximately 20 years after the original.
This is a new age of Hollywood, which has seen female characters taking more prominent roles, and this franchise is unlikely to shirk from that expectation.The existence of female gladiatorsin the movie is certainly evidence that they will be prominent. Lucius will undoubtedly be the leading hero, butLucilla will be a key character behind the scenes. Her importance puts her in a perfect place to receive more character development, especially due to her relationship with her son. Just as she worked with Maximus in the original, she will have the opportunity to scheme to move the political pieces in her favor.
Our Take On Lucilla’s Importance To Gladiator II
Nielsen Is In The Perfect Position To Showcase Her Depth
Even if Lucilla remains a supporting playerinGladiator II’s cast, it is interesting to see Nielsen’s understanding of her character’s depth.The character experienced a traumatic life, especially when Commodus was the Emperor. Nielsen has had extensive experience as an actor, so her performance will likely showcase exactly what that means for the ever-scheming character. Lucilla should have a more significant role, especially with her son in a position of prominence.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
