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Very hot take incoming:Gladiator IIis better thanGladiator… in one vital area. Ridley Scott’s sword-and-sandals action film, starring Russell Crowe, is a timeless classic. No one denies that. The film brought the Felix Legions and the Colosseum to the big screen with a heartbreaking story about family, duty, and revenge. Crowe’s performance as Maximus was outstanding and is still one of the best in his career. Ridley Scott’s direction is phenomenal, and his dedication to practical effects elevates the film to a whole new level. But (and it’s a big but), Emperor Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is a bad villain, especially in comparison to Denzel Washington inGladiator II.
Gladiator IIputs a fresh spin on the revenge story from the original movie. Unlike Maximus, who wanted to kill the treacherous Commodus,Lucius (played by Paul Mescal)has his target set on the entire Roman Army. After fleeing Rome as a child, Lucius finds a new life in Namibia. But, when the Romans claim the city as their own, Lucius is taken as a slave, and forced to fight in the same pits as his father, Maximus. Along his journey, he’s aided by his owner, Macrinus, who promises him the head of the Roman general Acacius (Pedro Pascal). But Macrinus has high-reaching plans of his own, and they make him far more interesting than Emperor Commodus.
Gladiator II
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.
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Denzel Washington’s Macrinus Is the Best Villain in the Franchise
How can you not love Denzel Washington? The veteran actor imbues Macrinus with a Colosseum’s worth of charm and charisma to the point where we actually start rooting for him. After purchasing Lucius, Macrinus makes his way to Rome with his sights set on ruling the entire Empire. It’s a lofty goal that would be a pipe dream for any other character, but Macrinus is intelligent and charming enough to make it a reality.
Macrinus is by far the most intelligent villain in the franchise (so far). Unlike Commodus, who lets his emotions get the better of him and acts hastily,Macrinus is always 10 steps ahead of his opponents. He was the first to work out that the slave he’d purchased was actually Lucius. He then uses that information to leverage and manipulate his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), catapulting his way up Rome’s hierarchy.
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Most importantly, while jointEmperors Geta (Joseph Quin) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger)partied their days away on the throne with violent repercussions,Macrinus was the only character smart enough to address them on their level. He knew how to play them like a fiddle (or aulos, to pick a more era-appropriate instrument). Macrinus was smart enough to turn the brothers against each other and leverage the already rioting Rome to his advantage.
Ridley Scott perfectly balanced Macrinus' intelligence in the film. Audiences were privy to some of his devious plans to add a layer of dramatic irony to the unfolding story. But, Macrinus was also one step ahead of the audience in many scenes, with plans far more villainous than even we were able to foresee.But as he did it all and slithered his way through the Roman social ranks, we actually rooted for him. Not only wasDenzel Washington charming as Macrinus, but audiences actually started feeling sympathetic towards the character. Heading into the final act, Macrinus unveiled why he wanted to take control of Rome, revealing to Lucilla that he was once a slave owned by her father, Marcus Aurelius. Not only did the scene make us root for Macrinus even more, but it also added further depth to the originalGladiator.
Emperor Commodus Was Whiny and Annoying in ‘Gladiator’
Before tearing Emperor Commodus apart as a villain, it should first be said thatJoaquin Phoenix’s performance inGladiatorwas excellent. He perfectly embodied a spoiled, jealous Emperor who had zero qualms about murdering children and had a strange obsession with his sister. But, as a character, Commodus was irritating to watch. The character was intentionally incompetent to act as a stark juxtaposition to the composed and intelligent Maximus, whom Marcus Aurelias had originally chosen as the next regent of the Roman Republic.
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We’re supposed to overtly hate Commodus, and we do. But, every time he appears on-screen, audiences are left with just one question, “When is Maximus coming back?” Narratively, Commodus served his purpose. But many of his scenes are painful to watch due to the jealous, irritating nature of the character.A great villain shouldn’t just be despicable, they should also be entertaining to watch. Emperor Commodus' presence inGladiatorslowed the film’s energy. Meanwhile,Denzel Washington’s Macrinus stole almost every scenehe was in.Gladiator IIis in theaters now.
