Denzel Washington commands ancient Rome and movie theaters with ‘Gladiator II’
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Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC News
The biggest surprise of “Gladiator II” is not that Denzel Washingtonis great. Instead, it’s how pivotal his character Macrinus is to the long-awaited sequel starring Paul Mescal as the heir of Russell Crowe’s iconic character Maximus.
The sequel revolves around Mescal’s character stepping into his destiny as Lucius, the son of a great warrior and grandson of an emperor. But it’s Washington’s Macrinus who moves “Gladiator II” forward.
Far more than a mere villain, Macrinus is a saboteur and opportunist in this Roman Empire epic, where those taken as slaves are forced to fight in an arena before an audience with a grim outcome: kill or be killed.
“His grand purpose,” Washington told NBC News, “is to take over the world.”
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