Denzel Washington in ‘Gladiator II’ is not a conspiracy theorist

One of the most anticipated films of the year is “Gladiator II” from acclaimed director Ridley Scott. Paul Mescal plays an adult Lucius, the young heir from the first film. After defying the Roman Empire, he becomes a prisoner, forced to fight in the arena. In addition to the excitement for the story’s continuation, the project features a star-studded cast, including Connie Nielsen reprising her role as Lucius’ mother, Lucilla, alongside franchise newcomers Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington.

From the moment we learned Denzel was joining the film, we couldn’t wait to see what he would bring to the Roman Empire. In a sneak peek at Vanity FairScott revealed details about the story and characters. Washington is “a dashing man of influence named Macrinus.”

“Denzel is an arms dealer who supplies food to the armies of Europe, wine and oil, makes steel, spears, guns, cannons and catapults. So he’s a very wealthy man. Instead of having a stable of racehorses, he has a stable of gladiators,” Scott said. “He’s gorgeous. He drives a gold Ferrari. I bought him a gold-plated chariot.”

While many fans were eager to finally see photos from the film and speculated on how it might compare to the original, there were those who couldn’t stand a world where a black man amassed so much power in the Roman Empire.

Before we get into the web madness, it’s important to note that both movies are fictional stories. While some characters are based on and inspired by real people, the overall universe in which they take place is cinematic magic.

It’s a vital part of the movie-going experience that some people have forgotten. This was the case in the many offensive and downright ridiculous posts that have popped up on the internet in the form of photos of Denzel as Macrinus.

One tweet seems particularly upset about this character, writing on X“When they swap in a fictional white character, their excuse is, ‘That’s just fiction, not reality.’ When they swap in a historical white character, their excuse is, ‘That’s just theater.’ They want to erase white people from history and corrupt our history.”

Another user who can’t understand the idea of ​​black people in other time periods, written on X“The Roman era??? The Blacks???”

These kinds of comments actually represent a minority of movie fans, as there are many more people who can’t contain their excitement at the prospect of having Denzel in “Gladiator II.”

A fan who focused on a crucial detail of the photo written on X“We’re going to have a Denzel Washington earring. A generational movie on the way.”

Another person is already looking forward to awards season, writing on X“And the Oscar goes too.”

Meanwhile, another user noted that they were already making plans, assignment“This image will sell tickets.”

One person said it all in his response to the outrage, writing on X“Imagine being upset about the presence of the excellent Denzel Washington in a movie. He’s one of the best.”

What makes this controversy even more ridiculous is the idea that Ridley Scott, of all people, is trying to pass himself off as woke. The 86-year-old filmmaker isn’t exactly known for including many people of color in his projects.

In fact, when asked if he chose to cast mostly white actors for his 2014 biblical epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” he told Variety:”I can’t make a film with this budget, where I have to count on tax breaks in Spain, and say that my main actor is Mohammed so-and-so from so-and-so. I’m just not going to finance it. So the question doesn’t even arise.”

If you think Ridley Scott is woke because he cast Denzel Washington, the acclaimed global superstar, to star in “Gladiator II,” let me remind you that this director is concerned about budget and box office. Two things that Denzel’s name will help improve.

“Gladiator II” hits theaters November 22.