Ridley Scott's Gladiator II has taken more than 20 years to hit the 2024 movie release schedule. And, though franchise OG Russell Crowe isn’t in the sequel–not for lack of trying, even when the ideas weren’t very good–you’d think the Oscar-winning actor might be focused solely on celebrating the franchise’s big return.

F or most people, Russell Crowe broke into the American film scene as detective Bud White in 1997’s L.A. Confidential. It was an ideal marriage of actor and role: the burly, snu

Russell Crowe really wanted to be in Gladiator II, despite the obvious problem that his characters dies in the first movie.