The following contains minor set-up spoilers for Gladiator II, opening in theaters on November 22Gladiator IIboasts an impressive cast, including Matt Lucas — who may have leftThe Great British Bake Offin part due to the opportunity to join the film. Set sixteen years after the events of the firstGladiator,Gladiator IIfollows Lucius Verus as he is forcibly brought back to Rome as a gladiator and finds himself caught amid a powerplay for the throne.Gladiator II’s cast of charactersincludes figures that allude to the real-life history of Rome as well as some important returning faces, like Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla. There are also many new faces, including Matt Lucas.
Lucas got his start in BBC shows likeThe Smell of Reeves and MortimerandShooting Starsbefore fully breaking out with the sketch comedyLittle Brittain. This led to a more high-profile career for the actor, with Lucas appearing inBridesmaids, Tim Burton’sAlice in Wonderland, andDoctor Whobefore settling into the role of co-host onThe Great British Bake Off. The actor departed the popular amateur baking show in late 2022 shortly before production began onthe long-developedGladiator II, raising the possibility that the film was a key reason he left the BBC show.
Matt Lucas' Character In Gladiator II Explained
Matt Lucas Plays The Master Of Ceremonies InGladiator II
Matt Lucas has a minor but memorable role inGladiator IIas the Master of Ceremonies at the Colosseum. Although he’s understandably absent from the first act ofGladiator IIwhen the action largely takes place in the nation of Numidia, the Master of Ceremonies repeatedly appears once Lucius and the rest of the Gladiators are thrown into combat. Lucas' character effectively replaces Cassius, who was the Master of Ceremonies in the firstGladiator.
David Hemmings played Cassius inGladiator. As the actor passed away in 2003, neither Hemmings or Cassius appear inGladiator II.
Similar to Cassius, Lucas' Master of Ceremonies is a theatrical figure who can command the attention of the Roman citizens through his booming voice. He shows complete loyalty to his Emperors, shifting his accolades towards certain characters into insults depending on their recent interactions with the twin rulers. Lucas' Master of Ceremonies doesn’t contribute much to the plot (and doesn’t get the minor character beats that made Cassius so surprisingly three-dimensional inGladiator), buthis performance is still a memorable part of the film.
Why Matt Lucas Left Bake Off
Did Matt Lucas Really Leave The Baking Show ForGladiator II?
Matt Lucas is best known for his comedic work in British television, as well as a host onThe Great British Bake Off. Lucas joinedThe Great British Bake Offin 2020 and co-hosted the show for two years before leaving in 2022, with Alison Hammond replacing him as co-host.Lucas has publicly stated he leftThe Great British Bake Offbecause of his focus shifting to other film and television projects. Notably,Gladiator IIbegan filming in May of 2023. This would coincide with his departure fromGreat British Bake Offin December 2022.
Wonka(2023)
Gerald Prodnose
This meansit’s likely that the Ridley Scott film was one of those projects that enticed Lucas away from returning toBake Off. At the time of writing, his only other upcoming role listed onIMDBis the animated filmFairy Tale Forest, where he’ll appear alongside Jane Lynch, Whoopi Goldberg, Erika Halacher, Lilla Crawford, and Mel Brooks. While his role as the Master of Ceremonies inGladiator IIlikely wasn’t the sole reason Matt Lucas departedThe Great British Bake Off, it seems to be a prime example of the kind of project he alluded to in his departure.
Gladiator II
Cast
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
