Denzel Washington delivered one of his most entertaining performances in a long-awaited sequel, but it might not have been what the movie needed. Washington is considered one of the greatest actors of all time, scoring two Oscars, alongside seven other nominations. In a rare feat, Washington has been nominated at least once in every decade of the past 40 years.

Washington’s best movies show his incredible versatility, playing trailblazing political figures, such as in Malcolm X, inspiring everyday leaders, such as in Remember the тιтans, and even ruthless villains, such as in Training Day. In each one of these movies, Washington’s performance stood out as a highlight and elevated the whole project.

Though he has remained one of the biggest stars in Hollywood for decades, Washington has largely avoided sequels, save for The Equalizer movies. However, one of his most recent roles saw him step into another franchise and deliver a performance that wowed critics but presented problems for the overall movie.

Denzel Washington Steals The Show In Gladiator II

Washington’s Performance As Macrinus Is The Highlight Of The Sequel

The cast of Gladiator II is an impressive one, filled with up-and-coming stars, but Denzel Washington gives the best performance in the movie. Taking place decades after the events of the first movie, Gladiator II follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he seeks revenge on General Acacius (Pedro Pascal), who he blames for invading his land and killing his true love.

When Lucius is sold as a slave to be trained as a gladiator, he meets Macrinus (Washington), a former gladiator who has won his freedom. With plenty more ambition, Macrinus seeks to use Lucius’ talents in the arena to fulfill his own quest for power. As soon as Macrinus is introduced, the movie comes alive in a new way.

Washington commands the screen whenever he is on it, which is impressive considering that Macrinus is a character who sometimes knows when to hide in the background. However, just watching Washington silently observing lets the audience understand this puppet master who is always plotting his next move.

Washington chews the scenery in the best way possible, infusing his portrayal with unique choices that continue to draw the audience in. Macrinus is a character whose true intentions and motivations remain mysterious for most of the movie, but it is never less than gripping watching him move the chess pieces as he likes.

Gladiator II’s Other Characters Are Overshadowed By Washington’s Macrinus

Lucius And Acacius Can’t Compete With The More Compelling Character

Denzel Washington helps to make Macrinus such a fascinating character that the audience cannot help but cheer for him even as he emerges as the true villain of the story. However, that is a problem for the two hero characters of Gladiator II.

While both Lucius and Acacius are connected to Maximus from the original Gladiator, neither are as compelling as Macrinus. Mescal and Pascal are brilliant actors, but they simply cannot match the presence that Washington has in this movie, and their characters become less interesting as a result.

Washington has not appeared in a supporting role like this since Antwone Fisher in 2002. Part of the risk of casting an actor like Washington in a role like this is that he is not only a great actor, but also a movie star. The audience is used to watching him throughout the whole movie, and this performance encourages that.

Mescal’s Lucius especially suffers from this dynamic, and he shares the most scenes opposite Washington. Mescal simply doesn’t have the star power to match Washington as an onscreen rival. Lucius is also hindered by the movie putting him too much in the shadow of Maximus, unable to really stand out on his own.

Gladiator II Focuses Too Much On Macrinus And Fails To Develop Its Main Plot

Gladiator II Forgets Whose Story It Is Telling

It is not just the audience that is mesmerized by Washington’s performance in Gladiator II. The movie itself seems to forget that Macrinus is not the main character, putting more and more focus on him at the expense of the rest of the story.

It is not hard to see the intended story at the center of Gladiator II, as it follows two men who were heavily influenced by Maximus and are eventually pitted against each other in the gladiator arena, each fighting to uphold the late general’s principles.

That is an interesting story, but it feels like it was gradually edited away in favor of spending more time on Macrinus and his maneuvers for power. The second half of the movie is so focused on Macrinus that it is somewhat jarring when the movie returns to Lucius, almost as a reminder that he is actually the main character.

A Gladiator Sequel Could Have Worked With Macrinus As The Lead

Macrinus Was An Interesting Enough Character To Lead His Own Story

Gladiator II made the mistake of treating its supporting character like the lead, thus damaging the main storyline of the movie. However, it is a shame that they did not learn the potential of Macrinus earlier in the making of this movie, as the character was certainly strong enough and layered enough to have led a different Gladiator sequel.

The story of a gladiator winning his freedom and gradually beginning to gain power in the political world is a fascinating one. In fact, it feels strange to depict Macrinus as the villain, given his backstory. Had the Gladiator sequel been written with Macrinus as the lead, they could have shaped him into a more heroic character.

With Maximus ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at the end of Gladiator, there was no reason for a sequel to be so focused on him. However, a version of Gladiator II focusing on Macrinus could have been its own standalone story while still carrying the spirit of the original movie. It also would have placed Washington in the genuine lead role where he belonged.