Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal gives his thoughts on the possibility of returning for a third movie, which would mark a career first for him. In 2000, Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe teamed up for the Oscar-winning masterpiece Gladiator, which ignited the box office, saw a resurgence in popularity for sword-and-sandals epics, and catapulted Crowe to superstar status. Now, 24 years later, Scott has returned – without Crowe – to direct the long-awaited sequel, next week’s Gladiator 2, with Mescal in the lead role of Lucius. The movie is already being tipped for huge success.