Despite previous reports about his return as Juba, original Gladiator star Djimon Hounsou has confirmed that he won’t be returning for Ridley Scott‘s long-awaited Gladiator 2 movie. During a recent interview with BroBible, the acclaimed actor officially clarified his involvement in the upcoming Paul Mescal-led sequel after major outlets began reporting about his return last April 2023.
“Honestly, no. And this was a pure accident in the way it unfolded,” Hounsou said. “I was going to be part of it. Circumstances dictated it to be something different.”
Who’s the cast of Gladiator 2?
Gladiator 2 is directed by Scott from a screenplay written by David Scarpa. Leading the long-awaited sequel is Mescal as Lucius, the son of Lucilla and Emperor Commodus’ nephew from the first installment. Joining Mescal are returning cast members Connie Nielsen as Lucilla and Derek Jacobi as Gracchus. It will also feature Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, and more.
The sequel is produced by Scott, Michael Pruss, Douglas Wick, and Lucy Fisher. The film is considered to be a joint-venture production between Paramount, Universal Pictures, Scott Free Productions, and Parkes/MacDonald Productions.
Production on the Gladiator 2 resumed earlier this month following the end of the Hollywood strikes. It is currently slated to arrive in theaters on November 22, 2024.
