Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Gladiator II.
Gladiator IIdirector Ridley Scott and his creative team explain their ideas about the backstory and motivations of Macrinus (Denzel Washington). As a former slave and gladiator,Macrinus is now a power broker and arms dealerwho has become one of the most influential characters in Ancient Rome. From Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal) to Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Emperor Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), Macrinus is intent on manipulating all ofGladiator II’s charactersin order to satisfy his ambition to rule Rome.
While speaking withVariety,Scott discussed how Macrinus had been a prisoner of waruntil"he earned his way out as a good gladiator"and secured his freedom through"getting a job as a supplier to the armies of Rome.“Cinematographer John Mathieson explained how Macrinus' visual aesthetic and his personality tie into this backstory. Production designer Arthur Max elaborated on this by emphasizing two animal motifs used to symbolize Macrinus' character. Check out Mathieson, Max, and Scott’s comments below:
John Mathieson: He’s remarkable looking. He’s very bling, flamboyant and he’s robed, and he’s obviously not from Rome, but he has done very well. He’s deeply mischievous, treacherous, and you feel that. He is incredibly polite and kind, even to those who owe him money.
Arthur Max: He comes from the polytheistic pagan world of ancient Rome, which he’s a part of, they adopted gods from the animal world. We decided to give him two motifs and distributed those throughout his universe; one was the wolf and the other one was the snake.
Ridley Scott: The throne is becoming, ultimately, very practical. His plan might have been, “I will wait until one of the twins dies, I can’t do anything else because otherwise it’d be too obvious,” but then things start to present themselves to him as possibility.
What This Means For Gladiator II
Macrinus Is The Best Part Of The Sequel
Scott and his creative team highlight Macrinus' clever, ambitious, and adaptable nature.Washington’s wild performanceasMacrinus is arguably the best part ofGladiator IIand is the most significant way that the sequel distinguishes itself from its predecessor. From Lucius being similar to Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) to Emperor Geta and Emperor Caracalla being similar to Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), there are close parallels between most ofGladiator II’s characters and between the plots of both movies.
Every Real Person In Gladiator 2 & What Happened To Them In Real Life
Gladiator II follows in the footsteps of the first Gladiator movie by featuring many characters based on or inspired by real historical figures.
While Macrinus initially seems reminiscent ofGladiator’s Antonius Proximo (Oliver Reed), the parallels do not last for long, as Macrinus ultimately becomes the sequel’s overarching villain. Macrinus' desire to rule Rome and his ability to seamlessly adapt is grounded in his past as a former slave and gladiator. Regardless of how high he has risen in Roman society,Macrinus never forgets his past, and remains determined to destroy the Roman establishment.
Our Take On Macrinus' Backstory And Motivations
They Elevate The Entire Movie
Gladiator IIis at its best when it focuses on Macrinus and his conniving machinations. His character helps elevate the sequel beyond its action spectacle as Macrinus deftly manipulates Emperor Geta, Emperor Caracalla, and Rome’s entire political system. InGladiator II’s ending, Macrinus' scheming and his willingness to be part of the fighting, including when he kills Lucius' mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen),makes him a satisfying final villain for Lucius to defeat. The development and culmination of Macrinus' story would not have worked as well without his essentialGladiator IIbackstory.
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.
