Denzel Washington to Reunite with Ridley Scott for 'Gladiator' Sequel

by Darian Scalamoni

    Just days after Barry Keoghan was cast alongside Paul Mescal for the untitled Gladiator sequel, it appears that the cast is growing with yet even more star power. According to Deadline, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington (Fences, Training Day) will join the cast, reuniting with Ridley Scott almost 16 years after their first collaboration, American Gangster.

    After Mescal joined the cast, Scott and Paramount pushed for a big name to co-star for the other major role. Though they didn't believe at first Washington would sign on due to his fastidious nature when selecting roles, he was excited for the opportunity to have such a bad-ass part in Scott's follow-up to the Best Picture winner. As of now, Washington's role is being kept under wraps, but if you want details on the plot, be sure to check out our reporting on both Keoghan's casting and Mescal's casting. 

    Washington has had ties with Scott and his moviemaking family for years. Though he's only collaborated with Ridley previously on the gangster epic American Gangster, he has ties with his late brother Tony Scott, previously starring in both Crimson Tide and Man on Fire which he directed prior to his death. Washington hasn't appeared in any projects since January 2022, when his latest Oscar nomination came in the form of Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth which streamed on AppleTV+. Denzel has become more particular in picking projects lately, though he's set to return to play Robert McCall for The Equalizer 3, a franchise in which he's centered around since 2014. However, he's been rumored to be a top choice to appear in Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming project as well.