After twenty years of failed attempts, director Ridley Scott is finally making Gladiator 2 and he is going for broke with this insane cast. We have Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, Denzel Washington, and none other than Pedro Pascal, everyone's favorite man of the hour, heading into the arena. When it comes to all those new faces, only Mescal and Quinn are attached to named characters, and everyone else boasts that most rumor-mongering of cinephile terms...the mighty "undisclosed role." Plot details for Gladiator 2 are as tight-lipped as the casting, but thanks to the well-researched theories of a Reddit user, an obscure time in Roman history might provide clues to the plot — and Pascal's role in it. Put on your detective hats, and let's begin.

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‘Gladiator 2’ Is Tricky to Figure Out

Russell Crowe in 'Gladiator'
Image via Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures

Following Gladiator's success at the box office and its five Academy Award wins, Ridley Scott aimed to make a sequel to his 2000 epic as early as 2001. Scott and his collaborators banded about many different story possibilities. One such concept involved an adult Lucius Verus — the son of Connie Nielsen's Lucilla and the nephew of Emperor Commodus (the sublime, Oscar-robbed Joaquin Phoenix) — discovering that Maximus (Russell Crowe) was his true father. Others pondered the problem of how to revive Maximus from the dead, because why wouldn't Crowe return to his Oscar-nominated role? Death is just a plot point, after all. Famously, a script from singer-songwriter Nick Cave posited a fantasy scenario where the Roman gods turned Maximus into an immortal assassin. Maximus would try (but fail) to murder Jesus Christ, whose religion posed a threat to the Roman god pantheon, then fight in every historical war. Oh, and Maximus would accidentally kill Lucius. (It's giving early God of War vibes, isn't it?)

Crowe announced earlier this year that he won't return for Gladiator 2, but wishes the production well. That leaves the burning question of who's stepping into Crowe's sandals as the film's leading man. For his part, Crowe believes the sequel will follow Lucius as the young man becomes Rome's new emperor. But everyone knows you can't just cast a star as enormous as Pedro Pascal, in a project this big, and not court rampant internet speculation. Therefore, we now turn to ancient history and one Redditor's recent speculations.

What Do We Know About ‘Gladiator 2’?

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Custom Image by Jefferson Chacon 

Here are a few confirmed facts about Gladiator 2: in line with the earliest spec scripts, Paul Mescal will play an adult Lucius. Joseph Quinn, meanwhile, portrays Emperor Caracalla. Lucius, like Maximus, was always a fictional character created by Scott, but Caracalla (like Commodus and Lucilla) was a historical figure. Caracalla's name sent rumors swirling that Barry Keoghan's role will be Caracalla's brother and co-Emperor Geta. That idea tracks narratively since Caracalla and Geta despised one another in real life. As Reddit user jimmy_costigan describes in their post, "Geta attempted to assassinate Caracalla, and failed, so Caracalla called a peace meeting to be at their mother's home. When Geta arrived, Caracalla called his Praetorian guard and murdered his brother in their mother's arms. From then on, he was the sole emperor."

Sibling rivalry that ends in fratricide is ample meat for a story, especially since ancient Romans practiced betrayals, conspiracies, and coups for breakfast. jimmy_costigan believes that Caracalla's murder of Geta will serve as Gladiator 2's inciting incident, similar to how the first Gladiator opens with Commodus murdering his father Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and replacing him as emperor. (Apparently, Caracalla's tyrannical ways make Commodus look like a walk in the park. Fun times!)

The Reddit user goes on to speculate that Lucius's fate will follow that of the real Lucilla's son, a senator named Aurelius Pompeianus. Caracalla considered Aurelius a threat and executed him. Since the fictional Lucius is related to two former emperors, unless Scott plays fast and loose with historical accuracy again, Lucius may not be long for Gladiator 2's world.

Pedro Pascal Enters the Arena...Maybe?

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Image via HBO

If Lucius is assassinated, this is where Costigan posits Pedro Pascal's grand entrance. In an echo of Maximus's quest for justice, Pascal would know Lucius personally and feel compelled to seek revenge against Caracalla. "I think he’ll actually be the titular Gladiator of the movie," Costigan says. It's a theory that makes sense given Pascal's ever-rising popularity; he's more than proven his ability to lead giant projects while bringing grounded realism and empathy to each role.

If Pascal's character in Gladiator 2 does go to one-on-one war with the emperor, Costigan theorizes that Ridley Scott might draw inspiration from a soldier who played a not-inconsequential part in Roman history. Justin Martialis murdered Caracalla after the emperor denied him a promotion. That's a pretty dull and awkward situation for the screen (especially since Caracalla was allegedly taking a bathroom break when he died), but if Pascal is indeed Gladiator 2's protagonist and facing off against a ruthless dictator, it's doubtful that Pascal won't get to take his vengeance. Costigan suspects that Caracalla will mark Pascal as an enemy, with the latter going into hiding, possibly assisted by Djimon Hounsou's Juba, who's returning for the sequel. Pascal hears tales of Maximus's legacy from Juba and takes up Maximus's title of the Spaniard while fighting epic arena battles. Says Costigan, "I’m betting the movie ends with [Pascal] running a suicide mission to kill Caracalla, where he dies at the end knowing he’s fulfilled his duty and is dying with honour."

Now, Entertain Us!

Russell Crowe screaming in Gladiator
Image via Universal Studios

Since Scott successfully took liberties with the first Gladiator, it wouldn't be a surprise if he repeated the process by creating a character for Pascal. In fact, it's probably the best strategy for a successful sequel. Going into a lesser-known period of history gives Scott even more creative freedom. If the Reddit user's theories prove true and Gladiator 2 spiritually echoes its predecessor with themes of power schemes and revenge quests, using historical figures that are "newer" to audiences should make for a refreshing and satisfying tale. Audiences have seen plenty of Julius Caesar and his pals. Instead, let's sit back, relax, and cheer on Pedro Pascal's continued world domination. Bonus points if he regurgitates some form of "are you not entertained?!" after kicking the appropriate amount of butt.