Gladiator 2: All 13 References To Maximus & Gladiator Callbacks Explained

Includes SPOILERS for Gladiator II.

Gladiator 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the classic Ridley Scott Ancient Rome epic, and there are several references and callbacks to the original. The idea of a Gladiator sequel after over two decades may have come as a shock, given the sheer length of time since the original. But Ridley Scott has gotten the band back together, or at least a new iteration of Gladiator’s cast that’s worthy of the 2000 Best Picture winner.

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The new film makes a concerted effort to honor the ideas and characters of the original with numerous quotes, easter eggs, and references. The lives of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) have left a profound impact on Rome when events pick up in the sequel. Their legacies live on and influence characters like Acacius (Pedro Pascal) and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), paving the way for Lucius (Paul Mescal) to rise up as Rome’s new hero in Gladiator 2’s ending.

13 Gladiator 2’s Opening Credits

Gladiator 2’s Opening Credits Show Events From The Original Movie

Paramount Pictures

Gladiator 2’s most overt reference to the original film is in its opening montage. As the title card and opening credits are introduced, audiences are shown iconic scenes from the original movie in the form of animation. This includes moments like Commodus’ thumbs up, the tiger fight, and Maximus’ iconic “My name is…” quote.

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Related Gladiator: What Is Macrinus’ Real Name?

Since Marcinus intentionally keeps his real name hidden throughout Gladiator II’s runtime, viewers may be curious about the reason behind this choice.

It’s a pleasant way of rehashing old material without having to play these scenes directly, and it allows for nostalgia to begin flowing as the movie starts. After the credits, Gladiator 2 opens with text cards that explain the current state of Rome under emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). This is reminiscent of the first movie, which opened with a similar exposition.

12 “What We Do In Life…”

Maximus’ Battle Speech Is Quoted In Gladiator 2

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Throughout Gladiator 2, Lucius becomes friends with a doctor named Ravi (Alexander Karim), who becomes an invaluable ally and loyal supporter. After his first gladiatorial match, Lucius has a wound on his arm that needs to be patched up, and he has a brief dialogue with Ravi, who states the classic line, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” Lucius mentions that he recognizes the phrase from somewhere.

Maximus delivered this quote in the opening war sequence in the original Gladiator film. As he leads his cavalry into the woods to flank their opponent, he gives a speech to motivate his men. It’s a moment that deserves to be mentioned among the best battle speeches in movies, demonstrating Maximus as a respected leader among his troops. The line is later immortalized on his shrine in the Colosseum.

11 His Name Was Maximus Decimus Meridius

Lucilla Quotes Maximus’ Iconic Line

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One of the biggest stories revealed in Gladiator 2 is that Maximus is actually the father of Lucius. In the first movie, it’s implied that Maximus and Lucilla had some past romantic history, but it’s never explored in detail. In a Gladiator 2 scene where Lucilla comes face to face with her fully grown son for the first time, she states, “His name was Maximus Decimus Meridius,” to explain who his father was.

The line is delivered in a particular way that calls back to the first movie, in the iconic scene where Maximus reveals his face and name to Commodus in the arena. It’s one of many lines that finds its way into the Gladiator sequel in a somewhat awkward manner, but it ultimately works in reminding Lucius of where he comes from.

10 Gladiator 2 Reuses Hans Zimmer Musical Queues

Gladiator 2 Has A Different Composer But Uses Music From The Original

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For any movie fan who loves epic musical scores, Gladiator is likely one that works its way into the rotation now and then. The original movie was scored by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, who created iconic tracks like “Now We Are Free.” In the 2024 sequel, composer Harry Gregson-Williams was brought on board to replace them, though his soundtrack is made to feel consistent with the original.

Gladiator 2 reuses multiple musical queues from the original movie. Most notably, in the film’s closing sequence, when Lucius returns to the arena to pay his respects to Maximus, “Now We Are Free” is played in the background, tying back to the first film’s ending.

9 The Dream That Was Rome

Marcus Aurelius’ Influence Is Still Prevalent

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Aside from Maximus, the real-life Roman Emperor and character from the first movie, Marcus Aurelius, is mentioned several times in the sequel. Marcus Aurelius was Lucilla’s father, making him Lucius’ grandfather. He dies early in the first film, but his ideals for “the dream that was Rome” survive past him and remain the primary motivation for Lucilla, Acacius, and eventually Lucius.

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In the first movie, Marcus Aurelius spoke of the dream, and the phrase was later repeated by Maximus. The dream of Rome is essentially an ideal that the ancient civilization could become a utopia for the world, where all people could be given a fair chance to survive and prosper. It’s counter-intuitive to the version of Rome seen in the movie, ruled by corrupt tyrants.

8 Lucius Rubs His Hands In Sand

Lucius Mimicks Maximus’ Pre-Fight Ritual

Custom Image by Lewis Glazebrook

When Lucius enters the Colosseum to fight his gladiatorial games, facing off against a man riding a rhino, he catches Lucilla’s attention by lowering his hands into the sand. He rubs his hands with the dirt and sand of the arena floor, preparing himself for the encounter, mimicking an action he saw from Maximus in the first film.

In doing so, both characters are symbolically connected with their deceased wives

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Something Maximus and Lucius share is that they’re both farmers and the gesture of lowering their hands to the sand is about being one with the earth. In doing so, both characters are symbolically connected with their deceased wives, who remain the driving forces of their motivation, pushing them toward revenge.

7 Maximus Shrine In The Colosseum

The Gladiators Built A Shrine To Maximus

The story of Maximus Decimus Meridius has lived long after the original character has died, passing into the legends of the arena. Ravi was a gladiator after Maximus’ death, and he explains that in his day, the story of Maximus was often told and passed around. The story has faded 15 years later when Lucius returns to Rome, but there’s still a shrine under the Colosseum in Maximus’ honor.

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The shrine contains Maximus’ original set of armor, his gladius sword, and the “What we do in life…” quote. It speaks to the camaraderie among the gladiators instilled by Maximus that his fellow fighters would have left this behind in his name.

6 Lucius Wears Maximus’ Armor In The Climax

Lucius Gears Up In His Father’s Armor

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After discovering Maximus’ armor in the shrine and deciding to embrace his destiny after Acacius’ death, Lucius puts on Maximus’ armor for his final confrontation. The final Colosseum battle of Gladiator 2 sees him attempting to save his mother, who’s declared a traitor by Caracalla and Macrinus. Lucius is meant to face the Praetorian guard in the arena to save her, essentially ensuring both of their deaths.

Lucius tricks Macrinus by freeing his fellow gladiators who have become loyal to him, and they help him win the battle, causing the Colosseum to erupt into chaos. Despite wearing his father’s armor, Macrinus manages to kill Lucilla before fleeing the arena.

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5 “Strength And Honor”

The Gladiators Chant “Strength And Honor” Before The Climax

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Another Gladiator quote that finds its way into the sequel on multiple occasions is “Strength and honor.” It’s a phrase that Maximus repeats to his soldiers throughout the original film to remind them of the true virtues of the Roman army, and it’s actually a line that Russell Crowe thought up for the movie.

When wearing Maximus’ armor, he leads his men into the final battle and uses ”
Strength and honor
” as his tagline.

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The line is repeated by Lucilla, and eventually Lucius, in Gladiator 2. When wearing Maximus’ armor, he leads his men into the final battle and uses “Strength and honor” as his tagline. The gladiators then chant the phrase in response, hyping them all up for the climactic confrontation.

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4 Caged Tiger In The Colosseum

A Reminder Of The Original Movie’s Tiger Fight

One of the most brief and easy-to-miss easter eggs in Gladiator 2 shows a caged tiger beneath the Colosseum just before the final fight. This is a reminder of the tiger fight from the original movie, where Maximus was forced to fight around multiple tigers held down by chains, eventually even killing one.

Gladiator 2 has some intense animal fights to match the tiger in the original. The first arena match sees Lucius and his companions face off against some terrifying rabid monkeys. Later, in the Colosseum, they have to fight a rhino, and then the naval battle involves sharks swimming around beneath the opposing boats.

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3 “In This Life Or The Next”

Lucius Repeats Maximus’ Classic Line

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In Maximus’ confrontation with Commodus in the original Gladiator film, he defies the emperor openly in front of the Colosseum crowd with a devastating threat. After unmasking himself and stating his name, Maximus states that he’ll have his vengeance “in this life or the next.” The line is repeated partially by Lucius in the sequel.

When speaking to Macrinus after he decides not to kill Acacius in the arena, Lucius says, “I will never be your instrument, in this life or the next.” Rather than execute the man responsible for killing his wife, Lucius decides to defy Macrinus, refusing to do his duty work. Defiance against tyranny remains a crucial aspect of both Maximus and Lucius as characters.

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2 Two Gladiator Actors Return For The Sequel

Connie Nielsen & Derek Jacobi Reprise Their Roles

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Connie Nielsen is easy to spot, returning as Lucilla for the long-awaited Gladiator 2 sequel. She’s the most prominent member of the original film’s cast, and her first scene reveals a twist that she’s re-married to General Acacius. The pair work together to plot against the twin emperors, and they’re joined by another alum from the original film.

Derek Jacobi reprises his role as Senator Gracchus from 2000’s Gladiator. He’s a senator who defies the stereotype of corruption by supporting Marcus Aurelius’ dream for a better Rome, and he remains loyal to Lucilla throughout the sequel.

1 The Hand In The Wheat Field

Gladiator 2 Ends With An Homage To Maximus

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The first Gladiator ends with a bittersweet moment, as Maximus dies in his fight against the corrupt emperor Commodus. However, before his death, Maximus fulfills his desire for revenge, and the movie ends with him passing through a symbolic wheatfield, implying that he’s moving on to the afterlife with his murdered wife and child.

Gladiator 2’s ending pays direct homage to this scene, showing Lucius returning to the arena and lifting sand into his hand once again. Fifteen years later, Lucius has fulfilled his father and grandfather’s mission by uniting a stronger Rome, and the wheat field from the original movie is shown to suggest that Maximus’ hand still has an influence on the world.

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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.

Director Ridley Scott Release Date November 22, 2024 Cast Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz Runtime 148 minutes Expand

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