Gladiator II Review: Paul Mescal spearheaded historic-war-drama is a royal mix of ambitious storytelling and adrenaline pumping, gory action
20 years following the events of Gladiator (in the year 200 AD), we find ourselves in the story of Gladiator II. Our protagonist, Lucius Verus, portrayed by Paul Mescal, was once the heir to the Roman Empire and is the son of Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, and Lucilla, acted by Connie Nielsen. At present, Lucius resides in Numidia, a region in North Africa, with his wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen). It was Lucilla who sent him to Numidia after Maximus’ demise, as a means of shielding him from the corruption that plagues Rome. For more than fifteen years, neither Lucius nor Lucilla have maintained contact.