Gladiator II’s theatrical release is just a week and a half away. The first people have already been able to see the hotly anticipated sandal action sequel and are euphorically promising a cinematic miracle. Others, however, blame director Ridley Scott for historical incorrectness in his sequel.
But the one who might be most surprised by the revelations of the last trailer is returning actress Connie Nielsen, who has now revealed that she has kept a quarter of a century of essential knowledge to herself. Knowledge that was already revealed by the trailer before the theatrical release. (Attention, it follows Spoilers for Gladiator 2.)
Who is Lucius’ father? Connie Nielsen kept Gladiator’s secret for 24 years and then this
The Gladiator sequel follows the footsteps of the boy who was rescued in the arena by Maximus (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator. The now grown-up Lucius (Paul Mescal) becomes a fighter in the Colosseum himself in part 2. A secret that has surrounded his character for 24 years is the hotly debated question about his father: Is Lucius the son of Maximus or Verusso Lucillas’ husband?
Anyone who was looking forward to a big reveal when they went to the cinema for Gladiator 2 might have been surprised by the second Gladiator trailer, which spilled the beans on this long-standing secret:
Watch the Gladiator 2 trailer that reveals Lucilla’s secret here (at 1:15)
Gladiator 2 – Trailer 2 (German) HD
In the trailer Lucilla reveals: “Lucius, show your father’s strength. His name was Maximus! And I recognize him in you.” Of course, that could also be misleading. But if we believe the words of Lucilla’s actress, it is the true answer to a question that has been discussed in fan circles for 24 years.
Hidden scene in Gladiator: Gladiator 2 star explains how Lucilla and Maximus got together
After the Maximus cat was out of the bag with the second trailer, actor Connie Nielsen confirmed Jake’s Take Lucius’ paternity is no longer unclear:
[In meinem Kopf war es schon immer] Russell [Crowe]. If you go back and watch the movie [Gladiator] look at, there is this scene where I stand opposite him and introduce my son to Maximus. And when we were filming it, I had a personal secret, like actors often have when filming. […] If you watch me, you can see me looking at my son and then at Maximus. […] And my personal secret was that he was the father.
Connie Nielsen had even come up with a background story for her gladiator character:
You have to understand: Lucilla was married to her adopted uncle when she was 16. Her father’s co-emperor. So there was no love there. And that’s why I always imagined that Maximus was a lieutenant or captain of the Guard back then. Certainly not high enough to be the husband of the emperor’s daughter. So when she got married, she probably didn’t have the best marriage. And so we have then [heimlich] Lucius conceived.
She no longer knows whether Nielsen also discussed this paternity secret with Russell Crowe at the time. She also leaves it open whether there were discussions with director Ridley Scott about this. But even though this revelation has already been teased by the trailer, there must be some satisfaction for the actress that her character backstory has paid off 24 years later.
When does Gladiator 2 start in cinemas?
Gladiator 2 will be released in German cinemas on November 14, 2024 celebrate. Ridley Scott is also already working on a part 3 for his historical epic.