Pedro Pascal swaps Mandalorian amour for sword in upcoming Gladiator sequel

Pedro Pascal is the newest cast member to join Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel to Gladiator.

Ah yes, another project on the books for the Chilean, who seems to be the busiest actor in Hollywood at the moment.

And we have no doubt that the highly anticipated sequel to the 2000 classic will boost his profile even more.

According to Comicbook.com, The Last of Us star is in the final negotiations with Paramount and Scott to star in the action-adventure flick.

However, it’s unclear who he’ll play at this point.

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Pascal will join Paul Mescal, who will star as Lucius, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington.

Esquire reported that the film would take place years after the first movie, where Lucius - son of Roman Empress Lucilla and Lucius Verus - is all grown up and decides to embark on his own journey in Ancient Rome.

Lucius is the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the son of Roman leader Marcus Aurelius who murdered his father and seized the throne.

In the first film, Commodus ends up in the Gladiator arena with Maximus (Russell Crowe), where he fatally wounds him.

But in his final moments, Maximus manages to kill the emperor, ultimately freeing Rome - all of which left a strong impression on young Lucius.

So naturally, it makes sense for him to wear the armour and blade in the follow-up film.

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However, according to Screen Rant, the original concept was quite different.

The idea was pitched that Maximus would be resurrected as a warrior for the Roman gods, with him fighting in various events throughout history, including the Crusades and World War II.

However, as Maximus is reunited with his wife and son in the afterlife in Gladiator, fighting for the Roman gods wouldn’t be consistent with the narrative in the first movie.

Lucius is a much better choice to serve as the main role in the film.

But has Russell Crowe given the sequel his blessing?

"I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life," he told Collider earlier this year.

He added: “Here it is, it's 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don't always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart."