Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn says Gladiator 2 will pay homage to the original movie

Joseph Quinn says fans of the original Gladiator have nothing to worry about when it comes to the sequel.

“It was a remarkable experience. We had a wonderful gang on it – Paul Mescal, Fred Hechinger, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen returned from the previous film, and Pedro Pascal, among some other really wonderful people,” Quinn told Men’s Health. “We certainly were aware of the legacy of the first film, so we wanted to pay homage to that, and understand that it’s one of those films that a lot of people get misty-eyed about, myself included.”

Quinn plays co-emperor Caracalla, with Mescal as Lucius Verus, Washington as a former-slave-turned-wealthy-merchant, Pascal as a former military combatant forced into battle, Hechinger as co-emperor Geta, and Derek Jacobi reprising his role as Senator Gracchus. Djimon Hounsou was set to reprise his role as Juba, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

Ridley Scott returns to direct from a screenplay by David Carpa. The sequel introduces Lucius as a man living “in the wilderness” after being separated from his family for 15 years.

Added Quinn: “Going back near that world felt a little daunting, but also utterly thrilling. Yes, I play one of the emperors in it, and it was a truly incredible experience. And that’s all I can say.”

Gladiator is set to hit theaters on November 22 in the US and November 15 in the UK. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.