Gladiator 2 Confirms The Ridley Scott Sequel's Joaquin Phoenix Replacement (& It Breaks A Huge Character Trend)

Summary Joseph Quinn steps in to replace Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator 2.

The trailer confirms Quinn's new antagonist role as Emperor Caracalla pays homage to Phoenix's Commodus in the original film.

Quinn's transition from playing heroes to portraying a villain in the sequel marks a significant change.

Twenty-four years following the original movie's premiere, Gladiator 2 is set to be released in 2024 with a mostly new cast, and the first footage from the upcoming sequel reveals who is replacing Joaquin Phoenix (who played Emperor Commodus). Although many original cast members aren't expected to return, Ridley Scott resumes his role as the director of the epic historical drama after helming the 2000 film, while David Scarpa penned the script. Gladiator 2 will pick up over 20 years following the events of Gladiator's ending and revolve around a grown-up Lucius Versus (previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark).

The cast of Gladiator 2 includes:

Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus

Denzel Washington

Pedro Pascal

Joseph Quinn as co-emperor Caracalla

Fred Hechinger as co-emperor Geta

Connie Nielsen as Lucilla

Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus (reprising his role from the first movie)

May Calamawy

Many of the performers' roles are unknown, including the names of Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal's characters. However, Washington's Gladiator 2 role is described as a wealthy arms and commodity dealer who used to be a slave and despises the emperors. Meanwhile, Pascal's character is a defiant former military commander turned gladiator. Neither Washington's nor Pascal's roles are meant to replace Phoenix's iconic villain from the original film in the Gladiator sequel, though.

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Gladiator 2 Trailer Confirms Joseph Quinn's Emperor Caracalla Is The Sequel's Replacement For Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix Played Commodus In The 2000 Film

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Joseph Quinn stars as Emperor Caracalla in Gladiator 2, one of the co-emperors alongside Fred Hechinger's Emperor Geta, and the sequel's trailer proves that Quinn's character is stepping in for Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus as the new antagonist. Sadly, Paramount Pictures has not released the teaser video to the public yet. But the Gladiator 2 trailer was shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2024, and those in attendance shared what they saw.

Up to this point, Quinn has played protagonists and heroes, so Gladiator 2 will be a nice change of pace as he transitions to portraying a villain.

According to reports, Caracalla does the iconic thumbs up and down gesture that Commodus does in the 2000 epic historical drama, confirming that Quinn is Phoenix's replacement. The trailer includes Caracalla displaying many of Commodus' attributes in the first film, paying homage to the original villain. However, some are certain that Gladiator 2's Emperor Caracalla will be much worse than Commodus, and only time will tell if Quinn's antagonist surpasses Phoenix's.

Related Gladiator 2 Definitely Sounds Like It'll Make Up For Ridley Scott's $220M Napoleon Failure Gladiator 2 already sounds epic, meaning that it may be able to succeed where Napoleon failed (despite the similarities between the two).

Joseph Quinn's Gladiator 2 Role Will Be A Harsh Change After Stranger Things & A Quiet Place: Day One

Joseph Quinn Is Known For His Portrayal Of Eddie In Stranger Things

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Joseph Quinn's breakout role came when he got the part of Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, who quickly became a fan favorite. Following his portrayal of the teenage rebel, numerous movie opportunities fell into Quinn's lap, including A Quiet Place: Day One and the Gladiator sequel. While many loved Eddie and will probably like Quinn's A Quiet Place: Day One character based on the trailer, the same cannot be said for Caracalla. Up to this point, Quinn has played protagonists and heroes, so Gladiator 2 will be a nice change of pace as he transitions to portraying a villain.

Joseph Quinn is also set to star as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Fantastic Four.