I den originale Gladiator, der af nogle betragtes som værende en af instruktør Ridley Scotts bedste film, så ender det med at hovedrollen spillet af Russell Crowe må lade livet. Der er dog en direkte efterfølger på vej, og mange spekulerer på om hvorvidt Crowes karakter alligevel er i live.
Men sådan forholder det sig altså ikke, og Crowe slår nu fast med syvtommersøm, at man ikke skal forvente et comeback. I et interview med Variety siger han dette:
"They should be f**king paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in. It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under."
Han indrømmer dog, at han er misundelig på Paul Mescal og Barry Keoghan, der spiller de to centrale hovedroller i filmen, fordi det minder ham om en anden tid i hans liv:
"I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life. I don't know anything about the cast, I don't know anything about the plot. I am dead! But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can't think of this movie being anything other than spectacular."