But Maximus' humility is exactly why Aurelius wants him to take over. “You have not been corrupted by the politics,” the emperor says. Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus in 'Gladiator' (2000).

As for Maximus, he slowly restores his honor as a gladiator, embracing Marcus Aurelius’ dream of a Republic and using his new-found fame to challenge Commodus. As the trailers for Gladiator II ...

Maximus' legacy looms large in Gladiator II, but there's a reason why his name was crossed out on the wall of the gladiator compound. Russell Crowe does not return as Maximus Decimus Meridius in ...

Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and is taken to Rome to fight in front of Commodus. Ultimately, Commodus and Maximus fight a duel and both of them — spoiler alert — die. “This movie ...

The arrest sets the rest of the story in motion as Maximus escapes execution, is enslaved, and becomes a gladiator — a role he uses to plot revenge against Commodus. Before Maximus falls from ...

It’s also obvious why she would have kept that secret forever from Maximus. The general died moments after he killed Commodus. Whether or not Gladiator II is truly retconning the identity of ...

Commodus is the main villain in "Gladiator." He kills his father, Marcus Aurelius, after learning that he has decided to make Maximus Decimus Meridius his successor to the throne. He then takes ...

It was the end of the movie, so Commodus died. Also it was a big, serious historical epic, so Maximus died too. That means “Gladiator II” needed a whole new gladiator. This time we get Lucius ...

The new film is the sequel to 2000's "Gladiator," which was also directed by Scott and starred Russell Crowe (Maximus) and Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus). The new film stars Paul Mescal (Lucius ...

The first trailer for “Gladiator 2” dropped Tuesday, and audiences are already clamoring for Nov. 22, when the Ridley Scott sequel for Paramount Pictures hits theaters. The anticipated feature ...