But what raises the follow-up above typical blockbuster fare is a scene-stealing performance from Denzel Washington. Not that you really notice that theft at first. There’s a lot going on in the background.

Denzel Washington experienced an awkward encounter with King Charles III during the London premiere of "Gladiator II."

Denzel Washington revealed that his same-sex kissing scene was taken out of the final cut of Gladiator II. During a recent interview with Gayety about the historical epic, Washington was asked, “How gay is the Roman Empire?