Gladiator 2 debuts "epic" first footage, featuring a brutal Paul Mescal battling man-eating monkeys, a terrifying Joseph Quinn, and gladiators fighting sharks

Gladiator 2 has unveiled its first trailer behind closed doors at CinemaCon, and it's apparently a seriously epic reintroduction to Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning world. 

Per Variety, the trailer begins with Paul Mescal's Lucius Verus as a nobleman who has been forced to renounce his privileged position to become a gladiator. Among the epic action sequences debuted are Mescal fighting a rhino, man-eating baboons, and Pedro Pascal. 

The publication also suggested that the tyrannical emperors – played by Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger – may be even more unhinged that Joaquin Phoenix’s in the original.  Denzel Washington’s character also looks set to be a key player in the sequel, manipulating Mescal in his revenge against the empire. "Rome must fall. I need only to give it a push," he apparently says.

If that wasn't enough, another report from a journalist in attendance says it also feature gladiators fighting sharks and "a spit-talking Joseph Quinn". Meanwhile a third suggests that the footage is just as epic as you might be hoping for. 

The plot of the sequel is primarily focused on Mescal's Lucius, who is the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of Emperor Commodus (Phoenix). Scott previously told Rotten Tomatoes that we’ll meet Lucius as a man living "in the wilderness" after having been separated from his family for 15 years.

The extended cast is pretty star-studded too, featuring Washington, Pascal, and May Calamawy. Reprising their roles from the 2000 original are Nielsen and Derek Jacobi.

At CinemaCon 2024, we also recently got a first look at the Gladiator 2 poster, which features the tagline: "What we do in life echoes in eternity." Intrigued? Take a closer look at that one here. 

Speaking about the upcoming movie to Total Film, Scott previously explained why he cast Mescal as his lead in the film. "Can I see Paul Mescal being as big as Russell Crowe? For sure," he said. "I watched Normal People. It's not my kind of show but I saw four episodes in a row – boom, boom, boom. I was thinking, 'Who the hell is this Paul Mescal?' And then I watched the whole series. And then, suddenly, Gladiator 2 came up, because the script was working pretty well. And I kept thinking about Paul. And that was it."

Gladiator 2 will be released on November 22. For what else to watch, here's our guide to the best action movies.