One Of The Greatest Actors Of All Time Is In Talks To Star In ‘Gladiator 2’

ridley scott gladiator

Universal Pictures


After already landing recent Academy Award nominees Paul Mescal (a Best Actor nod for Aftersun) and Barry Keoghan (a Best Supporting Actor nod for The Banshees of Inisherin) in the lead roles, Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator is on the verge of its biggest casting coup yet.

According to reports, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington is in talks to join the cast of Scott’s highly-anticipated sequel to Gladiator, which won Best Picture when it was released over two decades ago.

The report from Deadline states that Scott, who will direct the film himself, wrote Washington’s role with him specifically in mind.

Once Mescal was locked for the project, Scott and Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins and Co-Presidents Daria Cercek and Michael Ireland pushed hard for a star for the other major role in the film and took a shot with Washington, the two-time Oscar winner.

When the offer was first presented there it was unknown whether he would actually do it; Washington is known for his great taste in projects and doesn’t sign up for anything. But after reading the script, sources close to the project said he was excited about the bad-ass role Scott had written with him in mind.

In addition to the Gladiator sequel, which is set to begin production this year, Washington can also be seen starring in a third Equalizer film from director Antoine Fuqua when it hits theaters in September.

RELATED: Denzel Washington Says His Iconic ‘Training Day’ Role Was Not ‘Written For A Black Guy’

Eric Italiano BroBIble avatar
Eric Italiano is a NYC-based writer who spearheads BroBible's Pop Culture and Entertainment content. He covers topics such as Movies, TV, and Video Games, while interviewing actors, directors, and writers.