Gladiator II star Connie Nielsen explains why she decided to return as Lucilla 24 years after her role in Ridley Scott’s original movie. Scott returns to the director’s chair with his highly-anticipated sequel, which follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he becomes a fighter in the Colosseum after a Roman army conquers his home. Gladiator 2 trailers have revealed that Nielsen is one of only two actors to return from the original movie, with the other being Derek Jacobi as Gracchus, and Lucilla is set to play a prominent role as audiences return to the world of Ancient Rome.