Gladiator 2's Biggest Surprise Is A Cameo We Never Saw Coming

"Gladiator II" spoilers follow.

"Gladiator II" arrives in theaters this weekend (read our review), almost a quarter of a century after its predecessor won the Academy Award for Best Picture following its big screen release in 2000. Considering the "Gladiator" sequel that we almost got instead, the existence of this follow-up in the hands of director Ridley Scott again feels like nothing short of a miracle, even if the movie itself doesn't quite measure up to the greatness achieved by the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. You probably know the rest of that heroic diatribe, perfectly delivered by Russell Crowe, by heart.  

Anyway, "Gladiator II" acts as a quasi-remake and legacy-quel, focusing on a grown up Lucius, the young boy played by Spencer Treat Clark, the son of Roman Empress Lucilla, daughter of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Through an unfortunate series of events, Lucius has ended up without the protection of his royal family and is sold as a slave and eventually a gladiator, putting him on a path to deadly battle in the Roman Colosseum. It turns out that Lucius is actually the illegitimate son of Maximus, which paints his legacy and future in an entirely new light, pushing him to become a defender of the dream of a free Rome, just like Maximus. 

Lucius is entered into the gladiator games presented as a tribute to General Acacius (Pedro Pascal) for his latest victory in battle. Unfortunately, that battle left Lucius' adoptive civilization conquered and his wife shot dead after taking an archer's arrow to her chest. Out for blood, he's hoping to get close enough to Acacius to kill him, but he still has to contend with the deadly foes inside the Colosseum. But there's someone else who pops up in the gladiator games who almost no one was expecting to see: a certain British comedian who found fame with the sketch comedy series "Little Britain," accompanied one of the iterations of "Doctor Who," and has recently overseen some British bake-offs. 

In the Colosseum for the gladiator games, introducing the entertainment for the citizens of Rome is none other than Matt Lucas as the master of ceremonies. Lucas doesn't overstay his welcome, only appearing in a few scenes, and he's just funny enough without overdoing it. This master of ceremonies is a little more dramatic and theatrical than Cassius, played by David Hemmings, who announces the games in the original "Gladiator." But again, Lucas isn't hamming it up simply because he's a comedian. In fact, he put a lot of serious work into landing the role.

Speaking with "This Morning" (via Yahoo UK) Lucas revealed that he had to film about 80 takes for a self-filmed audition in order to land the role in Ridley Scott's film. Lucas said:

"I had to record myself introducing one of the battles and film myself in the flat I was renting while my house was being refurbished. I think I did about 80 takes til I had one I wasn't too unsatisfied with. So I sent a couple of tapes and forgot about it, and then 10 days later I got an email saying Sir Ridley Scott would like you to come and do it."

Lucas added, "It was amazing, though, to be in a Ridley Scott movie. I've been in some big films, but the scale of this was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I didn't know if I'd even make it in." 

Well, the good news is that he made it in, and you don't have to worry about him feeling out of step with the rest of the movie. It's not like Lucius is challenged to bake a Colosseum cake in "Gladiator II," though I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to seeing such a wholesome competition.