Gladiator 2 set to reveal that Maximus’s father is…Darth Vader

In a stunning twist, Gladiator 2, the sequel to the 2000 classic, will reveal that Maximus’s father is actually Darth Vader.

“Maximus is the very personification of nobility and goodness, we wanted to really twist that, really upturn people’s expectations. What better way to do that than to reveal that his father is actually Darth Vader, the most evil man in the universe,” explained director Ridley Scott.

Paul Mescal who plays Maximus in the sequel, admitted that the storyline was a challenge.

“Getting into the mindset of a Roman gladiator who’s just found out that his father is a Sith Lord from the Galactic Empire was difficult. I mean, Romans just didn’t really have the concept of alien life, let alone a giant galaxy-spanning Empire dedicated to the oppression of freedom.

“In the end, I just relied on the strength of the character of Maximus that Ridley created. He’s such a vivid, real character that I understood exactly how he would react to the news that his father was Darth Vader.”

Scott was quick to deny any accusations of plagiarising 1980’s the Empire Strikes Back, which famously revealed that Luke Skywalker’s father is Darth Vader.

“Well, no, obviously they’re very different films. Empire Strikes Back is set in space, Luke Skywalker is a Jedi knight. Gladiator 2 is set in Rome, Maximus is a gladiator. These films couldn’t be more different.

“Yes, they do both feature someone finding out that their father is Darth Vader, but that’s clearly nothing more than coincidence, it’s a common storyline.”

Scott wasn’t prepared to comment on rumours that a third Gladiator film is planned in which Maximus uses the Force to defeat the Empire on the forest moon of Endor.