Gladiator II star Paul Mescal reveals why he didn’t consult Russell Crowe for advice when taking on the role of Lucius. Though Maximus (Crowe) died at the end of Gladiator (2000), his legacy is set to live on in director Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2, which follows his son, Lucius, as he becomes a fighter in the Colosseum. The 2000 sword-and-sandal epic remains one of Scott’s most beloved films, and one of Crowe’s, and the star ultimately walked away with the Oscar for Best Actor.