Gladiator II 2024

The opening text states how, 16 years after the death of Marcus Aurelius, Rome has been run by corrupt twin emperors, Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). His “dream of Rome” has fallen, and the city is set to go down as well.

Numidia, 200 AD – A young man, Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), living as “Hanno”, tends to his crops along with his wife, Arishat (Yuval Gonen). They witness smoke and fire from the nearby gates, indicating a call to battle. They suit up and join their fellow warriors against General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and his Roman army. Lucius and Arishat put up a good fight, but Acacius spots Arishat firing her bow and arrow, and he commands his men to kill her. She is fatally hit with an arrow and falls into the ocean, while Lucius is also knocked out into the water. He finds himself between life and death, watching Arishat joining the Ferryman into the afterlife while he is pulled back to life.

Lucius is enslaved alongside the surviving soldiers and citizens, while the city is taken. Acacius returns to Ostia and is rewarded by Geta and Caracalla. Geta tells Acacius that they have their sights set on conquering Persia and India next, while Acacius believes they should be focused on the citizens of Rome. Geta denies Acacius time away with his wife and makes plans with Caracalla for gladiator games in the Colosseum.

Lucius and the other slaves are brought to Antium in an arena overseen by a stablemaster named Macrinus (Denzel Washington). The slaves are forced into combat against feral baboons. The Numidian chieftain, Jubartha (Peter Mensah), who was brought in with Lucius, chooses death in the arena and lets a baboon tear into his neck. Lucius fights one baboon and bites its arm before strangling it to death with his shackles. Macrinus quickly takes notice and later pits Lucius in hand-to-hand combat against gladiator trainer Viggo (Lior Raz), further impressing Macrinus with his fighting skills. Macrinus notes the rage that Lucius lives with, and Lucius states thght into the Colosseum. Lucius runs the dirt in the arena through his hands, much like the late warrior Maximus did. This causes Lucilla to take notice and recognize Lucius. He and other gladiators are pitted against undefeated champion Glyceo (Chris Hallaways). He slaughters the other men while riding his pet rhino until he is left to fight Lucius. They have a brutal fight before Lucius is knocked down, and Geta gives Glyceo a chance to spare Lucius. Rejecting this, Lucius continues the fight until he impales Glyceo, and then gets the thumbs down signal to decapitate Glyceo.