Paul Mescal stars as a grown Lucius Verus in the trailer for Ridley Scott’s long-awaited Gladiator sequel. 24 years after the film made its premiere, Gladiator II is set several decades after the original flick.
Verus, the grandson of former emperor Marcus Aurelius and the son of current Emperor Commodus is living in Numidia outside of the Roman Empire with his wife and child. An invasion led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) results in Verus being taken prisoner and forced to fight as a gladiator.
Alongside Mescal and Pascal, Denzel Washington portrays the power broker Macrinus, while Connie Nielsen reprises her role from the original Gladiator. Nielsen plays Lucilla, the mother of Verus, although after not seeing her son for decades, she doesn’t immediately recognize him fighting in the field.
Derek Jacobi also returns as Senator Gracchus, who opposes the fast-growing power of the twin co-emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, respectively).
The trailer for Gladiator II offers a glimpse into rising tensions among members of the imperial court, along with some combat unraveling within the arena.
Watch the official trailer for Gladiator II. The film premieres in theaters on November 22.