We’re left with 13 gladiator movies — many of which are extremely Christian and many of which have gay undertones (not mutually exclusive) — that earn a thumbs-up from a discerning Caesar. And, in that spirit,

Nothing worked until the creative team entirely scrapped the idea of bringing Maximus back, and refocused the drama on Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) — the son Maximus never knew he had. That has its highs and lows;

When we think of ancient Rome, gladiator fights are often top of mind. And yet, very little is known about these Colosseum battles, which is what arguably makes them great fodder for imaginative screenwriters.