“Gladiator” is one of the biggest Ridley Scott movies of all time, so the sequel is highly anticipated. However, the trailer’s song choice has seemingly soured some people on the upcoming second installment. “I’m a massive Gladiator fan, and the music for this trailer just took me out completely. It just does not fit the tone set by the original movie at all,” Redditor u/Murasasme noted.
Elsewhere, some people believe that the song was included only because the movie landed a certain big-name star. “The producers: We got [Denzel], let’s throw a rap song in there to emphasize the Roman Empire,” YouTuber @avairal5936 quipped in the trailer’s comments section.
The song also caught the attention of “Hellboy” co-writer Peter Briggs, who took to X to note that it’s one of several bad ideas associated with the sequel. “That song was a godawful marketing idea, for an unnecessary Gladiator sequel. Mescal has the charisma of a block of wood. Only Washington looks interesting. I’ll see it for Ridley (sigh) and the naval battles.”
If you aren’t entertained by the trailer or its song, then find out why Nick Cave’s “Gladiator 2: Christ Killer” is the sequel we still want to see.
