Russell Crowe says 'Gladiator' sequel missed 'moral core' of his character

Russell Crowe thinks the team behind the sequel to his hit 2000 film “Gladiator” missed the mark.

Speaking with Australian radio station Triple J on Monday, Crowe said, “I think the recent sequel that, you know, we don’t have to name out loud is a really unfortunate example of even the people in that engine room not actually understanding what made the first one special.”

He continued, “It wasn’t the pomp. It wasn’t the circumstance. It wasn’t the action. It was the moral core.”

Ridley Scott directed both “Gladiator” and “Gladiator II,” with the latter starring Paul Mescal. Crowe does not appear in the sequel.

Looking back on his time filming the original, Crowe told the radio station he had a “daily fight” to uphold Maximus’ moral code, including rejecting sex scenes that violated the loyalty he held to his wife, who was murdered during the events of the film, along with his son.

“It was a daily fight to keep that moral core of the character,” he explained. “The amount of times they suggested sex scenes and stuff like that for Maximus, it’s like – you’re taking away his power.”

In “Gladiator II,” it’s revealed that Mescal’s character is in fact Maximus’ son, born from an affair between him and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), a former lover and sister to villain Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).

“So you’re saying at the same time he had this relationship with his wife, he was f—king this other girl? What are you talking about? It’s crazy,” Crowe said of the plot line.

“Gladiator” won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

The sequel, which also starred Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, earned a single nomination for Best Costume Design at the 2025 Oscars.