Gladiator 2's Connie Nielsen on how Paul Mescal brings "deeper story" than Russell Crowe

Instead, the leading role in Gladiator 2 – which is released in UK cinemas tomorrow (Friday 15th November) – goes to Normal People and Aftersun star Paul Mescal.

He takes on the character of Lucius, who was played as a child in the first film by Spencer Treat Clark and now returns to Rome on a quest for vengeance.

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Although there are clear similarities between the characters of Maximus and Lucius – it's even revealed that the latter is the former's son – they are also slightly different types of hero, and this was something noted by returning star Connie Nielsen in a recent exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com.

"I think Russell brought... sort of, like, grandeur to the role," she explained. "What Paul brings to the role is, like, this deeper story, a story of a child who has been abandoned, of someone who has seen unbelievable injustice, and he brings to the role of Lucius such intensity and a feeling.

"And at the same time, also, like, he's a brawler, he's someone who's going to keep on getting up no matter what. You know, you get that underdog thing that I don't think that necessarily Maximus was."

She added: "Maximus was definitely a general, you know, who became a slave, who became a gladiator. But here you have someone who's had to survive from the get-go, from 10 years old, he's had to survive, he's had to adapt. And so he's a different character but no less heroic, and so moving, emotionally moving."

Of course, Nielsen plays Lucilla – Lucius's mother – in the film, and the two share some key scenes throughout the movie as they reunite after 16 years apart.

And interestingly, Nielsen explained that she and Mescal chose not to discuss these scenes and their mother/child dynamic ahead of shooting them.

"No, we absolutely did everything in our power to not address it at all," she explained. "Because we both instinctively sensed that... it was, like, one of those things, it's the balloon – you don't let the air out the balloon – and we just both knew that it was going to be explosive.

"And basically, even Ridley was very... sort of, like, walking around very gingerly, [he] basically set up a camera there and a camera there to catch everything he could and then basically let us loose!"

Gladiator II is coming to cinemas on Friday 15th November 2024.

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