Lucilla Didn’t Need To Be In Gladiator 2 Despite Her Connection To Lucius

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Gladiator 2.

Gladiator 2 picks up several years after the first film’s conclusion, following the journey of Maximus’ son Lucius as he travels to Rome in search of vengeance and justice on the same path his father walked several years prior as some familiar faces return. It’s a powerful, engaging story that takes all the best parts of Ridley Scott’s original epic and subverts them in new and exciting ways, with several members of the first film’s cast reprising their roles in Gladiator 2’s cast.

The returning faces in Gladiator 2 help to create a much-needed sense of connection between this sequel and the original, which inhabits many of the same themes. This has helped make Gladiator 2 a box office success, with many who watched the original film returning to see how Maximus’ legacy plays out. The film dedicates plenty of time to exploring Lucius’ relationship with his late father, using his mother Lucilla as a vehicle for him to learn more about his family and purpose. However, Connie Nielsen’s role in the sequel isn’t as crucial or irreplaceable as it should’ve been.

Lucilla Was Not A Necessary Part Of Gladiator 2's Story

The Character Was Criminally Underused

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While it was very exciting to see Lucilla again, and Connie Nielsen’s emotional performance helped elevate Gladiator 2’s key themes, her character ultimately could have been removed from the story without too much interference in the overall narrative. She’s essentially used as a vehicle for Lucius to learn more about his father, but many other characters in Gladiator 2 could have fulfilled the same role. Anybody from General Acadius to Senator Gracchus would have been able to get Lucius up to speed and help spark his desire for revolution.

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Without Lucilla in the picture, Gladiator 2 would have almost certainly focused more closely on General Acacius and his complex dynamic with Lucius. Instead of taking his mother’s word for Acacius’ good intentions, Paul Mescal’s protagonist would have needed to realize this on his own, potentially through more interactions with Acadius that would redeem the character before their final showdown in the Colosseum. This would have been a much stronger plotline than Lucilla attempting the exact same political maneuver as the first film.

Gladiator 2's Ending Would Still Work Without Lucilla

The Character Could Have Been Saved From Her Fate

Lucilla’s death during Gladiator 2’s ending is one of the film’s most emotional moments, and it ultimately serves to motivate Lucius into taking up arms against Macrinus and claiming Rome for himself. However, the film already gives Lucius plenty of reasons to fight for the “dream of Rome” that his father sacrificed himself for.

Lucilla’s role in Gladiator 2 could have been much stronger, and her death was ultimately unnecessary.

Lucilla’s death could easily have been spared. Acacius’ death served a very similar purpose, forcing Lucius to reckon with the political corruption within Rome and take action against the Emperors. Lucilla’s role in Gladiator 2 could have been much stronger, and her death was ultimately unnecessary.