Paul Mescal, who plays a grown-up Lucius in the sequel, shares his reaction to the twist: "Holy s---." Like father, like son.

The latest trailer for Gladiator II was finally dropped on Monday, revealing a significant plot twist. The character of Lucius (played by Paul Mescal) is revealed to be the son of Maximus (portrayed by Russell Crowe in the original 2000 film),

The latest trailer for Gladiator 2 confirms a bombshell fan theory about Paul Mescal ’s character. The Normal People star, 28, is in the lead role in Sir Ridley Scott ’s long-awaited follow-up feature, with Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington also in the cast.

A new trailer for the long awaited Gladiator 2 has dropped, and a huge connection to the first film has been made. It was one of the defining films of the 2000s, as Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen among others, set a precedent for historical titles.

Paul Mescal embraces his inner warrior as he goes to battle for Rome in the new trailer for Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Gladiator sequel. The Kildare native can be seen beaten and bloody as he portrays a grown-up Lucius, son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen in the original film.

After a Gladiator 2 trailer dropped a major reveal about Lucius relationship to Maximus, actor Paul Mescal now explains this surprise development.