By now we’re sure you have your calendars marked for November 22—it’s the day highly anticipated blockbusters Gladiator II and Wicked both hit theaters, which some are already claiming will be the second coming of Barbenheimer.
(For the record, we’re still waiting on a better name, because neither “Wickediator” or “Gladicked” have the same ring to it.)
And though traditional logic would tell us that Wicked fills the Barbie slot by appealing to the girls, gays, and theys, while the Gladiator sequel, like Oppenheimer, is for the straights, we’re here to say: Not so fast! We have reason to believe the swords-and-sandals epic will have some major queer appeal, too.
Your dose of fabulosi-TEA
Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.
For one, a new trailer for the film dropped this morning—on Bisexual Visibility Day of all days! Clearly that was intentional, right???
The cast of Gladiator II is for the gays
Returning to the story he started 24 years ago in the Best Picture-winning Gladiator, director Ridley Scott has assembled quite the cast, seemingly hand-picked to quench the internet’s collective thirst.
Preeminent babygirl and short-shorts king Paul Mescal takes the lead here playing Lucius, the grown son of slain hero Maximus (the original’s star, Russell Crowe). Now a prisoner, he finds himself under the tutelage of Marcinus (Denzel Washington, sporting a c*nty hoop earring), who has his own designs for taking over the Roman Empire.
Meanwhile, Lucius is hellbent on revenge, eager to have a Colosseum face-off with the Roman general who took everything he loves. His name’s Marcus Acacius, and he’s played by Pedro Pascal, so he’s a total daddy.
Sensing a theme here? Everyone in Gladiator II is very, very hot! Eye candy for all!
Not to mention, the film’s ensemble actually features a few out queer actors, too.
In a yet-to-be-revealed role is gay British comedy star Matt Lucas, who you might recognize from Bridesmaids, or the Little Britain sketch series, or as a former host of The Great British Bake Off. Plus, Sir Derek Jacobi—the esteemed thespian who came out in ’06 after civil partnerships were legalized in the U.K.—will reprise his role from the original as Roman Senator Gracchus.
See? Gladiator II was designed to reach across the (theater) aisle and bring us all together!
Are any of the Gladiator II characters queer?
As we’ve extensively documented on this very site, the “ancient epic” sub-genre is one that’s long been steeped in homoeroticism. And, sure, that’s partly because it so heavily features oiled up, scantily clad men grunting and thrusting in some intimate head-to-head showdowns. What’s not to love?
But as we’ve come to learn, folks were a bit more lax about sex and sexuality back in the day. Many historians have pointed to the fact that, especially among the Roman Empire’s elite, it wasn’t uncommon for men to engage in some same-sex “swordplay,” if you will.
Related*
Tug your toga to these 12 homoerotic ancient epics
These guys served it ancient city style.
While we don’t know for sure if Gladiator II will address this reality, or incorporate it into the story in any way, we have a strong feeling it might based on the presence of its antagonists, Caracalla and Geta, played by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus, Thelma) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, A Quiet Place: Day One), respectively.
Following in the footsteps of Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus in the first Gladiator, Caracalla and Geta are villainous, sneering pretty-boy emperors who ruled Rome together for a period of time. Scott’s movie depicts them in lavish clothing, wearing garish ghostly white makeup and even eyeliner—which may not have been far from the truth.
And, as at least one eagle-eyed viewer of the new trailer has pointed out, it looks like Hechinger’s Caracalla could be taking up company with some queer lovers.
Sure, it’s possible those are other flamboyantly dressed members of the Roman ruling class, but we don’t imagine they’d be sitting at the emperor’s feet like at least one of them appears to be doing…
So, what’s going on here? Is Gladiator II merely alluding to Caracalla being “gay or bisexual,” using his sexuality as another tired old trope to highlight his unchecked hedonism?
Well, if so, at least history is on its side: Many believe Caracalla was actually quite fond of male lovers. Once known for his countless, infamous affairs with women, it’s been said the young emperor at one point contracted an illness that left him impotent. From then on, he was fond of enlisting men—most likely soldiers of the Roman army—to go to town on him, all for the sake of his “well being.”
Yup, you read that right! According to author Harry F. Rey, Caracalla was a “vicious bottom.” (His full piece, “The Gays Who Built And Broke The Roman Empire,” is well worth a read.)
Related*
The emperor never married, which certainly adds fuel to the belief that he was queer, however there were also wild rumors that he had an incestuous affair with his own mother, Julia Domna. We could go on to tell you how that might’ve impacted his relationship with his brother Geta, but we worry that would end up being a spoiler for Gladiator II.
All of that is to say: Gladiator II might have some on-screen LGBTQ+ representation after all! It’s just that Caracalla isn’t exactly the upstanding ancient queer hero we might’ve hoped for.
Still, between Mescal x Pascal, a scene-stealing Denzel Washington, and even some out, gay co-stars, you better believe we’ll be heading to the theater on November 22 to watch how this Colosseum brawl goes down. Now it’s just a question whether we see it before Wicked or after…
Related*
Will a new cut of notoriously explicit ‘Caligula’ make this Roman epic even more homoerotic?
Gore Vidal famously called ‘Caligula’ “one of the worst films ever made”—and he wrote it!
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
