While there’s a lengthy summary for Denzel Washington’s Macranus, the one for Pedro Pascal’s character, Marcus Acagius, is short, sweet, and maybe a little secretive. He’s described as “the seasoned veteran and hero of the Roman Empire.” That’s it. It could indicate he’s one of the good guys, but that might not be the case based on the rundown of Paul Mescal’s Lucius. Seemingly turning his back on his family and birthright, Lucius has become an “enraged, defiant warrior [who] is not of Barbarian blood.” The breakdown also reveals he’s been “abandoned in his eyes by his family and betrayed by his people, he fights with the courage of someone who has nothing to lose. Loyalty is everything, but is it love and vengeance for his new people or the hatred of his own that gives him such unwavering mental and physical strength?”
Considering these new allegiances, is there a chance that Marcus Acagius is the real opposing force to Lucius? If so, it would make for a similar conflict to the one we saw in the first Gladiator film, where a forgotten warrior returns to take down a high and corrupting power. The difference here is that, unlike Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus, Pascal’s Acagius might be seen in a better light. We’ll find out when “Gladiator 2” hits theaters on November 22, 2024.
