Was Pedro Pascal's General Acacius In The First Gladiator Movie?

Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius is one of the most important characters in Gladiator II, with many wondering if the character was in the first Gladiator movie. Gladiator II‘s cast mixes new and old characters, with Connie Nelson returning as Lucilla, Paul Mescal taking over the role of Lucius, and tons of new characters appearing. General Acacius has a connection to the story of the first Gladiator, causing some confusion over whether the character is a new addition to Gladiator II or not.

Director Ridley Scott finally continued the story of his critically acclaimed film in Gladiator II, which takes place over a decade after the original Gladiator. The film follows an older version of Lucius, the son of Lucilla and the nephew of Commodus, with him having turned against Rome in the years since becoming inspired by Maximus. Gladiator II is full of references, Easter eggs, and connections to the original Gladiator, with General Acacius’ story acting as one of the most interesting tie-ins.

He Is An Original Character In Gladiator 2

As it turns out, Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius was not featured in the original Gladiator. General Acacius is an entirely new character who was invented for the story of Gladiator II, with the sequel marking the debut of Pedro Pascal’s character in the franchise.

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Some viewers may have thought that General Acacius was featured in the original Gladiator, as the sequel reveals that General Acacius has a key connection to Russell Crowe’s Maximus. Gladiator II explains that General Acacius once fought under Maximus, with him being part of the Gladiator protagonist’s army. However, this backstory was only constructed for the sequel, with Acacius not being a named character in the first film.

Gladiator 2 Suggests General Acacius May Have Secretly Been In The First Movie

As A Member Of Maximus’ Army

Although it has not been confirmed that General Acacius appeared in the original Gladiator, it is possible that he may have secretly been in the first movie. Maximus’ army is prominently featured in Gladiator‘s epic opening battle, with all kinds of soldiers filling the frame. It is entirely possible that any one of these soldiers could be a younger version of Acacius, with them growing up to be the character who is seen in Gladiator II.

Pedro Pascal as Acacius standing in the arena looking up in Gladiator 2.

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Obviously, Pedro Pascal wasn’t in the original Gladiator, and it is doubtful that Ridley Scott planned far enough ahead to have known who Acacius was all those years ago. However, it could be retconned that one of the soldiers from the original Gladiator grew up to be General Acacius, fleshing out the story of Gladiator II even further.