Cutting This Gladiator 2 Scene With Pedro Pascal’s Acacius Was For The Best

As per the standard filmmaking process, Gladiator II obviously deleted some scenes for the final theatrical cut, and some of these changes were doubtlessly in the best interest of the story and moviegoing experience. As it is, Ridley Scott’s sequel historical epic is two and a half hours long; yet it’s become common knowledge that Scott cut hours of footage from Gladiator II. Most controversially and most disappointingly, a character played by MCU actress May Calamawy was removed from Gladiator II, just through some deleted scenes.

While some Gladiator II characters and relationships certainly could have used more screen time, particular scenes might have been awkward for character development or forced connections that weren’t there. At the center of Gladiator II‘s story is the fraught dynamic between Lucius (Paul Mescal), his estranged mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), and her husband Acacius (Pedro Pascal), whom Lucius blames for the death of his wife, as Acacius is the general of the army that invaded Numidia. While Gladiator II‘s reviews suggest there was room for improvement with this storyline, a deleted scene would not have been the answer.

A Younger Acacius Was Originally Part Of The Flashback Where Lucilla Sends Lucius Away

Acacius Helps Lucilla Get Lucius Out Of Rome In Gladiator 2’s Script

The recently released full screenplay for Gladiator II (via Deadline) reveals that a younger Acacius was originally a part of the flashback where Lucilla sends Lucius away from Rome as a child. The movie shows some other people helping Lucilla, but none of them have any substantial narrative role besides making Lucius’ flight from Rome more plausible. In the deleted part of the scene, Lucilla is “overcome with emotion” over sending her son away, prompting Acacius to give him some stern direction about being the “future of Rome” before Lucius leaves.

It’s easy to understand why the interaction was cut when the scene is one of the few heart-to-heart moments between Lucius and Lucilla in the movie and their relationship should be at the forefront of the scene. Lucilla also has to live with her decision for the rest of her life, and her facing it in the moment on her own rather than needing Acacius to talk to Lucius because she can’t handle it is truer to her steely characterization — just one of the ways this moment would have brought down character development.

Lucilla Meeting Acaius Later Is More Interesting For Her & Lucius’ Characters

Some Distance & Lack Of Communication Is Actually Better For Gladiator 2’s Story

Namely, trying to incorporate Acacius further into the plot of Gladiator would have started to tread into the territory of being contrived. Acacius exists off-screen in Gladiator as a junior officer in the Roman army, but it’s not suggested otherwise that Lucilla knew him at that time; the most important relationships in her life then were with Lucius and Maximus. It implies more unpredictability in Lucilla’s life if, after she had chosen to remain in Rome alone, she then unexpectedly met someone whom she could trust with her plans and have a happy marriage.

Meanwhile, Gladiator II gets more out of the dramatic irony concept if Lucius has never met Acacius before; the story already strikes a balance of Lucius coming to respect Acacius but without too much affection between them. Acacius having trained under Maximus is good story-building and creates a legitimate connection between him, Lucilla, and Lucius. However, the fact that Acacius apparently didn’t become a major player in Rome’s politics until later helps it seem like more has actually happened in the characters’ lives between the two movies.

Source: Deadline