Denzel Washington’s Gladiator 2 Role Reunites Him With Pedro Pascal 6 Years After Their $190M Box Office Hit
Denzel Washington’s upcoming role in Gladiator 2 reunites him with another respected talent in Hollywood, but it isn’t the upcoming sequel’s director, Ridley Scott. Denzel Washington’s starring role in Gladiator 2 will reunite the two-time Academy Award-winning actor with the prolific director for the first time since 2007’s American Gangster. While the collaboration between Washington and Scott is exciting, Washington’s starring role in his first epic sword-and-sandal project is just as exciting. However, his collaboration with one of the movie’s stars is another reason for audiences to be excited about the upcoming sequel.
Given the level of talent involved and the massive success of the first entry in the franchise, Gladiator 2 could break box office records, which would be a much-needed success for Scott. Although Scott’s recent movies haven’t been as popular as Gladiator, the anticipation for the upcoming sequel suggests that audiences can’t wait to revisit Scott’s interpretation of ancient Rome. Furthermore, Denzel Washington seldom does sequels, especially movies that are already a part of another franchise, so his involvement with Gladiator 2 is exciting for that and for his actor reunion.
Gladiator 2 will see Washington and Pedro Pascal reunite for the first time since 2018’s The Equalizer 2 under the direction of frequent Washington collaborator, Antoine Fuqua. Although Washington’s return to The Equalizer franchise was one of the best things about the movie, his onscreen chemistry with Pascal was arguably the best thing about the sequel to the 2014 revenge thriller. Washington reprised his former elite DIA ops character, Robert McCall, and Pascal starred opposite Washington as Dave York, Robert’s former DIA partner. The Equalizer 2 was a successful entry in the franchise, and it’s largely because of Washington and Pascal.
Washington and Pascal share many great scenes in The Equalizer 2 , but with Pascal’s increase in popularity since then, Gladiator 2 could do an even better job with both actors.
Even though audiences don’t see Robert and Dave completing missions together, the quality of both actors’ performances perfectly captures the essence of old friends who haven’t seen each other in years. However, after it is revealed that Dave became a killer for hire and was responsible for killing an old associate of both him and Robert, it becomes clear that their friendship will devolve into a full-blown rivalry. Washington and Pascal share many great scenes in The Equalizer 2, but with Pascal’s increase in popularity since then, Gladiator 2 could do an even better job with both actors.
How Gladiator 2 Can Improve Washington And Pascal’s Onscreen Reunion.
Gladiator 2 Can Give Washington And Pascal’s Characters A More Complex Relationship
Gladiator 2 could position Washington and Pascal to be allies, which would be a great reversal of their work in The Equalizer 2. Washington will play an unnamed former slave who holds a grudge against ancient Rome’s elite, and Pascal will play an unnamed former military commander who is condemned to participating in duels to the death as a gladiator after demonstrating a defiant attitude against his superiors. Since both characters have a shared disdain for the movie’s elite, it isn’t a stretch to envision Washington and Pascal as allies in Gladiator 2.
