Summary

• Gladiator 2 will feature a new protagonist, Lucius, played by Paul Mescal, and a fresh new cast of characters, giving it a unique feel.
• Hans Zimmer will not be returning to compose Gladiator 2, but Harry Gregson-Williams is set to bring his own flair to the score.
• The change in composer reflects the shift in focus from Maximus to Lucius, ensuring the new story has its own distinct identity.

There will be another disappointing difference in Gladiator 2, but this change makes perfect sense, given Russel Crowe's absence from the sequel movie. Coming to theaters 24 years after the massive success of the first Gladiator movie, it's reasonable that the new film wouldn't be too similar to the original. Though Ridley Scott is returning to direct Gladiator 2, Crowe will no longer be the star. Instead, Paul Mescal will be taking his place as the central protagonist, but this won't be the only new face working on the upcoming film.

Returning to Scott's Gladiator 2 will be actors Connie Nielsen and Djimon Hounsou, playing Lucilla and Juba, respectively. Aside from this pair, the rest of the cast and characters for the 2024 film will be brand new. Mescal will be joined by Denzel Washington, Barry Keoghan, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, May Calamawy, and more. In all, Gladiator 2 is likely to feel like a fresh new movie, highly different than the film from 2000. This will be especially true because composer Hans Zimmer is among those who won't be returning to Gladiator 2.

Hans Zimmer Isn't Returning To Compose Gladiator 2

Zimmer is among the most beloved composers in Hollywood. Some of the most notable films he has worked on include the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr., The Lion King, Pearl Harbor, and, of course, Scott's Gladiator. Zimmer's musical score has a lot to do with the emotional factor of Gladiator, with titles like "The Battle" giving the 2000s film that exciting and inspirational quality. Without the famed composer, Gladiator would feel like an entirely different movie.

Unfortunately, Zimmer has revealed that he is not returning for Gladiator 2. The composer noted (via Screen Rant) that he has learned that returning to past franchises only sets him up to be "slaughtered by critics" who would say that he didn't do as well as last time. This was something he noticed with Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King, and Kung Fu Panda, and he realized that he had had "enough of that." Since Gladiator holds a special place in Zimmer's heart, he decided that this should be conserved and that someone new should step in for the continued story.

Gladiator 2 Is In Great Hands With Composer Harry Gregson-Williams

Replacing Zimmer in Gladiator 2 is Harry Gregson-Williams, known for the Chronicles of Narnia movies Shrek and Man on Fire. The composer also has plenty of experience working with Gladiator's Scott, having scored for the director in films like Kingdom of Heaven, Prometheus, The Martian, Alien: Covenant, The Last Duel, and House of Gucci. So, it's clear that Gladiator 2 will be in good hands.

Part of Gregson-Williams' job will surely be to recapture the original mood of Gladiator, and it's likely that many of Zimmer's classics, like the iconic "Now We Are Free," will be featured in Gladiator 2. Therefore, we can still expect a similar mood in the 2024 sequel. However, Gregson-Williams is sure to bring his own flair, which is perfect when considering that Gladiator 2 will no longer be about Crowe's Maximus. Instead, the composer's musical score needs to reflect the new story of Mescal's Lucius.

A Fresh New Score Is Perfect For Gladiator 2's New Protagonist

If Crowe had returned to play Maximus in Gladiator 2, it would have made far more sense for Zimmer to return. The score for Gladiator extensively revolved around the identity of this protagonist, perfectly capturing his bravery, anger, honor, determination, and much more. Maximus' memory is likely to be a prominent feature of the sequel, with Mescal's Lucius and Nielsen's Lucilla undoubtedly keeping the man alive through their own actions in Rome. However, with a new protagonist will come a whole new set of character qualities that Gladiator 2 must capture.

As Lucius' goals and tribulations are brought to the film's forefront, Gregson-Williams' score will be there to ensure that the franchise's two protagonists stand apart from one another.

In this way, Gregson-Williams replacing Zimmer in Gladiator 2 is a perfect move. The original composer's pieces will shine through in those moments when Maximus is being remembered. However, as Lucius' goals and tribulations are brought to the film's forefront, Gregson-Williams' score will be there to ensure that the franchise's two protagonists stand apart from one another. In a way, this is precisely what Zimmer was saying when he explained why he wouldn't return for Gladiator 2. The composer wouldn't have been able to differentiate the score without criticism, but Gregson-Williams will be free to make this new story unique.