The sequel to Ridley Scott’s epic 2000 sand-and-sword revenge drama “Gladiator,” “Gladiator 2” brings audiences back to the Roman Colosseum through a parallel revenge story, featuring Hanno (Paul Mescal) against disillusioned Roman General Acacius (Pedro Pascal). As in “Gladiator,” succession to the Roman throne plays a crucial role, with the eventual revelation of Hanno’s true name as Lucius Verus Aurelius, heir to his maternal grandfather, the assassinated emperor Marcus Aurelius, and son of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), being central to the plot.

The tale is set two decades after the events of the first film, where then-emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) selected Maximus as his successor after declaring his unstable son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) unsuitable for the Roman throne. The sequel begins with Hanno, a general in North Africa, leading a defense of Numidia against Acacius and his army’s invasion, resulting in Hanno’s wife Arishat (Yuval Gonen) being killed and Hanno being enslaved along with his fellow countrymen. Taken to Rome to become a gladiator, Hanno reunites with his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), now married to Acacius, who reveals that she sent Hanno away as a child to escape the Roman army. Recognizing her son, she informs him that his father was the gladiator Maximus, confirming the Lucius identity theory hinted at in the “Gladiator II” trailer, which is later verified by Acacius in the gladiator ring.

Just as “Gladiator” was filled with historical inaccuracies that enhanced the movie, “Gladiator II” completely reimagines the historical backdrop to improve the film. During Imperial Rome, it was customary for emperors to adopt an heir to inherit the throne upon their death or retirement. The authentic Lucius Verus was not the grandson but the adopted brother of Marcus Aurelius, with the two serving as co-rulers for several years until Verus’ death following a campaign against Germanic tribes.

Lucilla’s real-world counterpart was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, but she was never Lucius Verus’ mother. That honor went to a noblewoman named Avidia Plautia. Technically Verus’ niece by way of adoption, the real Lucilla became Lucius Verus’ wife through an arranged marriage and soon after, mother to his three children. A few years after Lucius’ death, it was actually Lucilla who became concerned with Commodus’ unhinged behavior, conspiring with a handful of senators to plot his downfall. Unfortunately for Lucilla, Commodus caught on and imprisoned her along her daughter, who also happened to be his wife, before executing them both in 182 AD. The real brothers Geta and Caracalla, who were never twins, actually came along much later, ruling jointly for a very brief period in 211 before their rivalry culminated in Caracalla’s brutal killing of his brother. General Acacius, however, was completely fictional character that Pedro Pascal embodied perfectly in his character’s brutal fight to the death with Paul Mescal’s Lucius.