Paul Mescal's Lucius was set to be emperor in the original Gladiator, but in Gladiator II, he'll be forced to fight in the Colosseum, and a cut line from the first movie explains why. Paul Mescal will play Lucius in Gladiator II, but the upcoming sequel won't be the character's first appearance. Lucius was also in the original Gladiator, though he was still a child played by Spencer Treat Clark. Since Lucius is an adult in Gladiator II, the sequel will have to explain what happened to Lucius after Gladiator.

While many of Gladiator II's story details have already been revealed, there are still several mysteries left unanswered. It's still not clear if Lucius was Maximus' son, for example, and Denzel Washington's Gladiator II character has very few confirmed details. One of those mysteries, however, may have already been answered over 20 years ago. An early draft of the original Gladiator's script may explain one of the most important parts of Gladiator II's story months before the movie comes out in November.

Lucilla Sent Lucius Away Before Gladiator 2 (But Lucius Didn’t Understand Why)

A few parts of Lucius' role in Gladiator II's story have already been confirmed thanks to some big reveals from Gladiator II's first look images. Those details revealed that after the original Gladiator, Lucius' mother, Lucilla, sent him away from Rome to a region of Northern Africa, but Lucius never understood why. It seems Lucilla's decision will be a massive plot point in Gladiator II: Lucius will return to Rome as a gladiator, and he'll have to face his mother again. Their reunion will certainly be a dramatic moment, but an early script for Gladiator may have already taken some of its mystery away.

An Early Draft Of Gladiator's Script Already Explained Why Lucilla Sent Lucius Away

Gladiator II will almost certainly reveal why Lucilla sent him away, but an early draft of Gladiator's script may have already explained her reasoning. The second draft of Gladiator's script, written by David Franzoni, included a scene where Lucilla told Maximus what she planned to do after Commodus' death (via IMSDb).

“My son will live. He will survive this cursed bloodline. Rome will die, and the jackals will pick her clean -- but my son will survive. Empires come and go. Cities crumble to dust. Only family matters.”

That version of the script also had Lucilla go on to explain that she never wanted Lucius to be Emperor, and that she wanted to take him with her and "leave this charnel house forever and never look back." This cut line from Gladiator's script perfectly explained why Lucilla would send Lucius away: she felt Rome was set to collapse, and she wanted to keep her son safe when it fell. Though Lucilla seems to have had noble intentions when she sent Lucius away, her actions could very well become the most tragic part of Gladiator II.

Lucilla's Reason For Sending Lucius Away Continues A Gladiator Trend

Though Lucilla was right about the fall of Rome, her decision to send Lucius to Northern Africa still continues one of Gladiator's most tragic trends. The original Gladiator explored quite a few themes, from revenge to survival, but one of its most important themes may also apply to Gladiator II. In the original Gladiator, Commodus sentenced Maximus to death, but it was exactly that decision that ultimately cost him his own life, as Maximus eventually killed Commodus at the end of Gladiator. A major part of Commodus' story was that he tried to avoid destiny, and the decision he made to do so was the same one that sealed his fate.

Gladiator II seems set to use that same theme again, and Lucilla seems to be its focus. Lucius will return to Rome after Pedro Pascal's General Acacius captures and enslaves him in Northern Africa. That means Lucius would never have become a gladiator if Lucilla hadn't sent him away, and her efforts to protect her son put him in more danger than ever before. Lucilla did likely save Lucius' life for a short time, as he would have been a major target if he remained in Rome, but the ironic twist of fate still echoes Commodus' attempts to beat destiny.

Lucilla's actions may even apply to Gladiator's focus on the unavoidable nature of fate even more deeply. Before he died, Maximus urged Rome to fix its corruption and reinstate the Roman Republic. Gladiator II's story details, however, revealed that Rome did not listen, and the Emperors that ruled in Lucius' absence brought even more decay to the once strong empire. If Lucius had been present, though his life would have been in danger, he may have been able to restore the Roman Republic. Lucilla's decision, however, doomed Rome to decline even further.

While the early script of Gladiator explains Lucilla's reasoning for sending Lucius away, a major part of Gladiator II remains a mystery. Lucilla's cut line revealed that she planned to take Lucius with her, but in reality, she sent Lucius away on his own. It's still not clear why she would change her plan so drastically and send her only son - and main motivation from Gladiator - away. She must have had a very compelling, and likely dangerous, reason to do it. Even though Lucilla's reason for sending Lucius away seems to have been explained, Gladiator II will still have a very meaty mystery to explore.

Source: IMSDb