Denzel Washington's character is one of the biggest draws of cast of Gladiator II sounds excellent, with major stars like Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and others playing major characters in the film. However, the marketing campaign for Gladiator II has heavily focused on Denzel Washington's involvement, which is ittedly exciting for any movie that gets the actor. Luckily, it looks like Denzel Washington may be in Gladiator II more than the marketing is letting on.

After decades of waiting, Ridley Scott is finally returning to make a sequel to the critically acclaimed 2000 hit Gladiator, with the sequel focusing on mostly all-new characters in an all-new story. One of the biggest new additions to Gladiator II is Denzel Washington's Macrinus, a former slave who has the ambition of overthrowing the Roman Empire. The first trailer for Gladiator II makes it seem like Macrinus is mostly operating in the background, pulling strings in order to get Paul Mescal's Lucius to take down Roman royalty for him.

Denzel Washington's Gladiator 2 Role Could Campaign For Best Actor At The Oscars (Not ing)

Meaning That He Is In The Movie More Than We Think

Although Denzel Washington's Macrinus doesn't seem to be the film's main character, it looks like he could be campaigning for the Best Actor award at the Oscars instead of Best ing Actor. According to Denzel Washington's role in Gladiator II is significant enough that he could go either way, with the film having the potential to get him a Best Actor nomination. It looks like the actor's awards chances will entirely depend on what direction the studio campaigns for, meaning it is possible that Washington could be more than a ing actor.

Awards season always has a lot of politics involved, so it is entirely possible that this is all speculation and that Denzel Washington gets nominated for Best ing Actor. After all, it would be difficult to campaign for Best Actor nominations for Denzel Washington as well as Paul Mescal, who is undoubtedly the protagonist of Gladiator II. The advertising for Gladiator II also makes Pedro Pascal's Marcus Acacius seem like the film's second biggest character, not Denzel Washington's Macrinus, making his Best Actor potential even stranger.

Is Denzel Washington The Main Villain Of Gladiator 2?

Or Is It Pedro Pascal?

The role of Denzel Washington's Macrinus in Gladiator II is a bit mysterious, with the film not letting on if he will be the true main villain. When looking for an antagonist in the sequel, it seems obvious to point the finger at Pedro Pascal's Marcus Acacius. After all, the Roman Empire encomed every villain in the first Gladiator, and since Lucius' goal seems to be to take the empire down, it only makes sense for a Roman figurehead like Marcus Acacius to be the main villain.

However, Denzel Washington's Macrinus has all the makings of a twist villain. Macrinus is clearly manipulating Lucius, with him pulling the strings in the shadows while Lucius seems to be acting as the public face of Macrinus' revolution. It is entirely possible that Macrinus and Lucius are completely aligned in their goals, with Macrinus acting as more of a mentor than a threat. However, it would be odd to have the element of someone controlling Lucius without them ever coming into conflict in Gladiator II's story.

Denzel Washington Is Less Likely To Be Gladiator 2's Version Of Proximo

He Seems To Have More Villainous Intentions

When drawing parallels between Gladiator and Gladiator II, the most obvious comparison to Denzel Washington's sequel character is Proximo. While Proximo was the well-intentioned mentor of Russell Crowe's Maximus in the original movie, Macrinus seems less pure. The trailer for Gladiator II highlights that Macrinus is more aggressive and sarcastic than Proximo, meaning that he could end up making rash or even intentionally villainous decisions later in the movie.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Lucius turn against Macrinus at some point in Gladiator II, something that didn't happen in the original film. Since Lucius is a blood relative of those in charge of the Roman Empire, Macrinus' radical approach to taking down Rome could put the two in conflict, painting Macrinus in more of a villainous light. Casting an actor as big as Denzel Washington means that Gladiator II has to have a bigger plan for the character than it is letting on, with this being one of the most exciting parts of the sequel.

Source: Variety