Gladiator 2’s Latest Trailer Reveals A Secret About The New Hero

Viewers of the original Gladiator may recall that there was some question about the paternity of Lucius Verus (Spencer Treat Clark), because it was made very clear that his mother, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), was the former lover of the first film’s hero, Maximus (Russell Crowe). But in the new trailer for Gladiator 2, the older Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) finally learns the truth. He is the son of Maximus, and he’s following in his father’s footsteps.

In the years between the first movie and the sequel, Lucius turned his back on Rome and became a warrior in his own right. He also started his own family and lived peacefully until General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) conquered his lands and sent Lucius back to Rome as a slave. Like his father before him, Lucius will have to work his way up the gladiatorial ranks if he ever wants to get his revenge.

Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are the co-Emperors of Rome, and Lucius isn’t their only enemy. A former slave named Macrinus (Denzel Washington) has his own plans to take down the emperors, with the reluctant help of Lucius and his fellow gladiators. Their endgames may partially align, but Lucius makes it clear that he has no love for Macrinus either. The new poster for the film has also been released, and it hints that Lucius’ final battle may be with Marcus in the arena.

Gladiator director Ridley Scott returned to helm the sequel, which was written by David Scarpa. Gladiator 2 will hit theaters on November 22.