What to Know About Denzel Washington’s Gladiator II Character

by

As a history enthusiast with a penchant for Roman times and a soft spot for Denzel Washington’s charisma, I find myself utterly captivated by the portrayal of Macrinus in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II. While it’s a delightful departure from historical fact to have Macrinus as a Black businessman raising an army of gladiators, it doesn’t diminish the intrigue that Denzel Washington brings to the character.

Among the captivating figures in Ridley Scott’s upcoming film, “Gladiator II” (set to release on November 22), there stands out Macrinus – a character portrayed by Denzel Washington, who is not just a businessman but one raising an army of gladiators, and interestingly, he happens to be of African descent.

Macrinus expresses that entertaining you is all he desires from the very beginning of the movie,” he tells Fred Hechinger, who portrays Caracalla, and Joseph Quinn, who plays Geta.

In the film, Macrinus unknowingly purchases Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), a young man taken from a defeated city-state and brought to Rome, without realizing that Lucius is the illegitimate grandson of the esteemed Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

Macrinus indeed existed, but contrary to popular belief, he did not command an army of gladiators. The story of Marcus Aurelius having a secret grandson is entirely fictitious. In fact, Macrinus originated from North Africa, specifically what is now Algeria today. As a prefect of the Praetorian Guards during Caracalla’s rule, he was a prominent lawyer in Rome, as stated by Mary Beard, a renowned classicist and author of “Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World.

After Caracalla’s assassination in 217, the soldiers swiftly appointed Macrinus as their new emperor.

According to Andrew Scott, a professor of Classical Studies at Villanova University, certain sources imply that Macrinus may have been behind the assassination and portray him as someone who was eager to seize the throne.

Surely, the movie strongly implies that Macrinus murdered Caracalla, as depicted by him snapping Caracalla’s neck.

Macrinus ruled for approximately a year, but his rule ended in 218 when soldiers ousted him amidst a civil conflict.

Read More

2024-11-22 23:06