Of all the 2024 movie releases we’re still waiting on, it’s possible that Ridley Scott’s return to the world of one of his biggest hits with the fast-approaching Gladiator II is the film that people are looking forward to the most. One of the stars is A Quiet Place: Day One’s Joseph Quinn, and while he was worried about appearing in a sequel for the beloved Gladiator, he admitted that hearing one A-lister’s name made the pitch “undeniable.”
What Did Gladiator II’s Joseph Quinn Say About One A-Lister’s Name Helping Him Decide To Do The Sequel?
Joseph Quinn’s career has been picking up lots of steam since we first saw his work as the fan favorite Eddie Munson in Stranger Things Season 4 in 2022. As previously mentioned, fans had the opportunity to see him on the big screen just this summer, when he led A Quiet Place: Day One with Lupita Nyong’o. While he’s currently filming his role as Johnny Storm/Human Torch for the hotly anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps, this fall will see the actor step into the villainous sandals of Roman co-emperor Geta.
It’s not every day that we get a sequel for a film as beloved as Gladiator, not to mention for an award-winning movie that was released nearly a quarter of a century ago, so it probably goes without saying that Quinn was a bit nervous about the idea of being a part of the new story, despite the talent involved. As he said of the original epic during a recent interview with L’Officiel USA:
I watched it when I was about 12 or 13, and was spellbound by it. That kind of filmmaking doesn't happen all the time. Ridley Scott is very good at it, and I was aware of the fact that coming close to that world again was something that wouldn't sit well with some people. I agree that it is a masterpiece, and it's sometimes better to leave these things alone.
We all know that Quinn is probably correct in the assumption that many Gladiator fans were likely quite leery when initial plans for this sequel was announced, even with the legendary filmmaker being involved again. Honestly, I’m guessing that I say “they better leave that alone” at least five times a day for any remake/sequel of any movie/TV show/song that I love.
However, it turns out that Quinn (who didn’t have any gym showdowns with co-star Paul Mescal while training for the new movie) changed his understandably unsure stance on Gladiator II when hearing that he’d be working with a certain A-lister known as two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, who reunites with Ridley Scott on the sequel. As Quinn said about deciding to play a part in the film because of the Training Day star:
It was literally undeniable; I would not have been able to deny that opportunity.
I wouldn’t be able to deny an opportunity to work with Mr. Washington either, and I’m not even an actor, so I think we all get his motivation here. Hopefully, his first time meeting the acclaimed talent went way better than the first time Quinn met Taylor Swift.
Gladiator II, which also stars Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielson and Fred Hechinger, among others, hits theaters on November 22.
