Russell Crowe is already partially criticizing Gladiator 2

When Gladiator 2 hits theaters in November, Russell Crowe will no longer be in it. His main character Maximus is died in the first part and the plot of the sequel will revolve around the now grown-up Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal).

Now Crowe has spoken out about the upcoming Gladiator 2 release, which the actor doesn’t seem to particularly like.

Gladiator 2 causes jealousy and discomfort for Russell Crowe

According to Variety, the star spoke about the release of the Gladiator sequel during an appearance on the Kyle Meredith With… interview series. Crowe admits that he didn’t like some aspects of the story at allthat he has seen so far:

The fact that they’re doing another one makes me a little uncomfortable, you know? Because of course I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done. About a few things I’ve heard, I think: ‘No, no, no. That’s not part of the moral journey of this particular character.’ But you know, I can’t say anything about that. That’s not my place. I’m lying underground.

Crowe also gets uncomfortable feelings when thinking about Gladiator 2 because he himself thinks back melancholically to an earlier phase of his career when his star status grew extremely:

I think back to the age when I made this film, and all the things that came after, and the doors that this particular film opened for me. So there is definitely a touch of melancholy, a touch of jealousy – and that is quite honest.

You can watch the complete interview video with Russell Crowe here:

When will Gladiator 2 be released in cinemas?

The Ridley Scott sequel will be released on 14 November 2024 on the big screen. You can currently stream the first Gladiator with Russell Crowe with a Netflix subscription, among other channels.