The Gladiator 2 Character Barry Keoghan Almost Played

With "Gladiator II," Sir Ridley Scott will make something rare in his filmography: A direct sequel. This is something he has only done before in "Alien: Covenant." But unlike that movie, "Gladiator II" has been decades in the works, with the script evolving from a bonkers story of resurrection and time travel to a story not featuring Maximus Decimus Meridius at all, much to Russell Crowe's discomfort. 

Instead, the story follows Lucius, the young kid from the first movie and the son of Empress Lucilla,  as Lucius is sold into slavery and eventually becomes a gladiator. Inspired by the story of Maximus, he decides to take his revenge against twin emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), in the ring. Revenge in the ring, of course, involves everything from fighting rhinos to participating in the incredibly dangerous and incredibly impressive (and real!) naumachia naval battles. The film boasts an impressive cast that also includes Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen, but one name that was almost part of the list is Barry Keoghan, who was supposed to play Emperor Caracalla before dropping out.

When asked by IndieWire why he dropped out of "Gladiator II," Keoghan responded, "Conflicts, schedule conflicts." 

"I am a massive fan of 'Gladiator' and a massive fan of that cast," Keoghan continued. "It's a shame you can't do both. But that happens in this game." It didn't help that he the project he was shooting was quite a long distance away. "It always happens. Shooting in two different countries as well makes it really difficult."

It should be noted that the initial reports about Keoghan dropping out stated that he was set to play Emperor Geta before Hechinger took over the role, but it is actually Quinn who is playing Geta, with Hechinger playing Caracalla.

Though he took plenty of liberties, Ridley Scott did grab a lot from real history in "Gladiator," and it seems that approach continues in the sequel. The brother emperors Caracalla and Geta were real (and had a very messy history), as each was first a co-ruler with their father Septimius Severus, and then ruled together once their father died. Of course, the two brothers did not last very long, as the real Caracalla had his brother murdered soon after they took power. Caracalla has been compared often to King Louis XVI for his tyrannical tendencies. 

When it comes to "Gladiator II," it is easy to see some of Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus in Quinn's Geta, who the trailer shows to be a more over-the-top, almost comically evil villain. Ridley Scott, for his part, described the two brothers as "damaged goods from birth." It's not hard to see how Keoghan could have fit in this movie, with the calm, cold cruelty he infused into characters like Martin Lang in "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" being a fantastic contrast to Joseph Quinn's more bombastic approach to his role.

"Gladiator II" hits theaters on November 22, 2024.