Ridley Scott’s historical epic Gladiator II gave fans of the first Gladiator starring Russell Crowe the sequel they’d been craving for 24 years. What the second Gladiator film didn’t give moviegoers upon its theatrical release, however, was the full picture of what had been sH๏τ for the project. Dozens of deleted scenes were cut from the movie to bring it down to its 148-minute running time, including 10 scenes which have since been included as special features in Gladiator II’s digital release on Blu-ray and for digital download.

Although Gladiator II won’t be getting an extended director’s cut from Scott featuring any of these scenes, they do provide additional context to the events of the movie, as well as some exciting тιтbits for fans. Even these 10 scenes don’t give us everything we need to know about the story of Gladiator II, as Denzel Washington’s much-discussed same-Sєx kiss scene isn’t one of them. Nevertheless, they fill in certain gaps, and introduce us to two new characters, one of whom is an important speaking part that was later cut from the film altogether.

10

Centho Bears Mark Of A Fugitive

Gladiator Trainer Viggo Makes This Observation About One Of His New Recruits

The first of the 10 Gladiator II deleted scenes included with the movie’s digital release centers on Centho, a slave training at Macrinus’ gladiator school, whose face is disfigured by broken bones and scarring. “That’s what happens when you get caught,” Macrinus warns his other prospective fighters offscreen, as the camera focuses on Centho’s face, which has clearly taken a vicious beating. Gladiator II’s makeup artist Jana Carboni has shared the work that went into designing Centho’s appearance, including a sketch made by Ridley Scott, even though the character doesn’t appear in the final movie.

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As he leads some new recruits to the school past Centho, the gladiator trainer Viggo, played by Lior Raz, remarks, “The mark of a fugitive.” This remark indicates that Centho has tried to escape from the school, and the beating his face has taken is the punishment meted out to him after he was caught trying to flee. This brief clip serves as a frightening reminder of the level of brutal repression that gladiators, who were ultimately a type of slave, suffered under the heel of the Roman Empire.

9

Lucilla And The Emperors

Roman Emperors Caracalla And Geta Ask Lucilla To Adopt Them As Her Sons

Gladiator II’s second deleted scene shared as part of the movie’s digital release is one of the longest to have been cut from the final version. In this scene, Lucilla, the daughter of former Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, sister of Commodus, and mother of Gladiator II’s central hero Lucius, meets with the two brothers who rule as emperors during the movie, Geta and Caracalla, having been invited to visit them at their palace. They have a surprise request for Lucilla: that she become their mother.

A family tie linking Rome’s two rulers directly to the lineage of popular emperor Marcus Aurelius will certainly serve as a boost to their reputation, and secure their position as emperors.

This scene is actually an important detail in the overall narrative of the film. Emperors Geta and Caracalla want Lucilla to adopt them in Gladiator II because this act will strengthen their claim to rule over the Roman Empire. The two emperors aren’t popular with senators or the general population of Rome, and so a family tie linking them directly to the lineage of popular emperor Marcus Aurelius will certainly serve as a boost to their reputation, and secure their position as emperors.

8

Fortuna and Lucius At The Party

Macrinus’ Companion Tells Lucius She’s Bet On Him To Win A Fight

This scene is one of two starring May Calamawy which were cut from Gladiator II but are included in the special features of the movie’s digital release. The cutting of Calamawy’s character was controversial, especially as the actor’s Palestinian-Egyptian heritage has fueled rumors that her removal from the final film had a political motive. The movie’s plot doesn’t rely on Fortuna, the companion of Macrinus that Calamawy plays in Gladiator II, but her deleted scenes are substantial nonetheless.

Here, she goes to see Paul Mescal’s hero Lucius, then known as “Hanno,” before he fights a barbarian during a party for the Roman emperors. She tells him that she’s bet on him winning the fight, although he rebuffs the suggestion that her bet isn’t a risky one.

7

Lucilla Looks Out Of The Window

Marcus Aurelius’ Daughter Lucilla Observes Imperial Guards Watching Her Villa

A brief but ominous scene at the end of Gladiator II’s first act indicates that all is not well between Lucilla, daughter of the legendary emperor Marcus Aurelius, and those in charge of Rome. Before she turns in for the night, she looks down on the imperial guards outside her villa, as dark music swells in the background. In fact, had it been kept in the movie, this scene would have been one of the first indications of Lucilla’s plot to overthrow Emperors Geta and Caracalla, and restore the Roman Republic.

Ultimately, she doesn’t live to see her plan realized, as she’s killed by Denzel Washington’s Gladiator II character, Macrinus, before her son, Lucius, eventually vanquishes her killer. However, Lucilla’s role in the plot to get rid of the Empire during the first half of the movie makes her a key character in political terms. She isn’t simply the doting wife of the heroic General Acacius, but a masterful operator in the upper echelons of Roman politics.

6

Macrinus Sees Acacius Statue

Denzel Washington’s Macrinus Reveals His Intention To Conquer Rome

Following General Acacius’ victory over the Numidians in North Africa, a statue is erected of the military leader in central Rome. Macrinus happens to be pᴀssing in his chariot when he sees this statue being erected, and observes, “Rome. How many armies have tried to breach these walls and have failed?” He then adds menacingly, “Where they have failed, I shall succeed.”

This scene spells out the villainous intentions of Denzel Washington’s character in Gladiator II, to take control of the Roman Empire for himself in capital letters. Ultimately, it wasn’t necessary for dramatic purposes, as what Macrinus intends to do gradually dawns on viewers anyway during the course of the movie. On the other hand, the scene does draw an interesting link between Macrinus and the North African peoples who’ve been defeated and enslaved by Rome. As a non-Roman who is himself a former slave, Macrinus does have good reason to want to usurp Emperors Geta and Caracalla.

5

Lucilla In The Crypt

Lucilla Examines A ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Body She Believes To Be Her Son Lucius

This deleted flashback scene in Gladiator II of Lucilla in her crypt explains an important aspect of the movie’s premise. In It, she examines the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ body of a man that’s been found in North Africa’s Atlas Mountains, where her son Lucius was living at the time, 14 years before the rest of the movie. She suddenly breaks down, overcome by grief.

This deleted scene explains why Lucilla didn’t attempt to reunite with Lucius at any point in the years he was away from Rome.

The body, she’s been led to believe, is that of Lucius, who was apparently found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ during Rome’s war with the Numidians. As it turns out, the body wasn’t Lucius after all, who’s still very much alive during the events of Gladiator II. But this deleted scene explains why Lucilla didn’t attempt to reunite with Lucius at any point in the years he was away from Rome.

4

Fortuna Visits Lucius In His Cell

She Asks Lucius To Reveal The Truth About Who He Really Is

This second scene involving May Calamawy’s Fortuna sees her visit Lucius in his cell at the Gladiator school, where she makes her physical attraction to him clear. Fortuna was apparently intended to be a love interest for the central hero of Gladiator II.

The actual reason why she’s come to speak with Lucius, though, is to find out the truth about who he really is. Despite being the grandson of a Roman emperor, Lucius was captured by the Roman army in Numidia at the start of Gladiator II, where he was identified with the local name “Hanno”. On this basis, he’s ᴀssumed to be of North-African descent, but Fortuna suspects otherwise. If it had been kept in the movie, this deleted scene – the longest of the 10 shared in the movie’s digital release – could have sparked an interesting subplot in the uncovering of Lucius’ true idenтιтy.

3

Lucilla Mourns Acacius

Weeping Over Acacius’ Body, Lucilla Grieves The Loss Of Her Husband

In a minute-long scene of little consequence or substance which deserved to be cut from Gladiator II, Lucilla cries over her husband Acacius’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ body. Acacius has been killed in Rome’s Colosseum, by the Praetorian Guard on the orders of Emperors Geta and Caracalla. Macrinus actually intended for him to die at the hands of Lucius in the gladiatorial arena, but Lucius refused to kill him after quickly subduing him in their fight.

General Acacius is the only main character in the movie who has no historical basis.

The reason Acacius was put to death is that he was part of a plot with Lucilla and Senator Thraex to overthrow the Emperors. When Thraex leaked the plot to Macrinus, there could only be one outcome, unfortunately for Acacius.

2

Ravi Hands Out The Keys

The Gladiators’ Doctor Blesses Each One Of Them Before They Fight

Ravi serves as a doctor in Gladiator II, treating the injuries that the gladiators sustain during their fights in the arena. A former slave from India, he empathizes deeply with others enslaved by Rome. In this deleted scene, he blesses gladiators as he hands each of them a key, telling them, “My gods are not your gods, but today my gods, they will be with you.”

“After Gladiator II‘s revelation that Lucius is Maximus’s son in its trailer, we watch the film knowing this information. Lucius (who goes by another name for a portion of the film) is a bit of a cipher, his every decision made in the shadow of Russell Crowe’s character.” – Graeme Guttmann – ScreenRant’s review of Gladiator II

The significance of this scene is that it prefigures the crucial moment in which Paul Mescal’s Lucius asks for Ravi to give him all the keys for the gladiator school, so that he can free the gladiators to launch a counter-offensive against Macrinus and his forces. We don’t need to see this deleted scene to understand what Lucius is doing at that moment, but it does provide a welcome explanation as to why Ravi is the keeper of keys before Gladiator II builds towards its climax.

1

Macrinus Greets Caracalla

The Two Exchange A Joke About The Absence Of Caracalla’s Brother Geta

The final deleted scene to be included in Gladiator II’s digital release features Rome’s Emperor Caracalla, played by Fred Hechinger, being greeted by the empire’s most powerful financier and arms dealer, Denzel Washington’s Macrinus, prior to a public procession. Caracalla is taking credit for the subduing of both of a riot across the city, during which he and Macrinus murdered his brother, Emperor Geta, and a plot to overthrow the Empire.

Together, Caracalla and Macrinus joke about Geta’s absence from the parade, with Caracalla claiming, “He would be so happy for me.” Macrinus responds that Geta is “unwell”. It’s clear that this scene was cut because the macabre jokes don’t quite land, and only serve to undermine the scene of Geta’s murder that we’ve witnessed moments before. The final version of Gladiator II is better off without it.