Gladiator II star Connie Nielsen explains why she decided to return as Lucilla 24 years after her role in Ridley Scott’s original movie. Scott returns to the director’s chair with his highly-anticipated sequel, which follows Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he becomes a fighter in the Colosseum after a Roman army conquers his home. Gladiator 2 trailers have revealed that Nielsen is one of only two actors to return from the original movie, with the other being Derek Jacobi as Gracchus, and Lucilla is set to play a prominent role as audiences return to the world of Ancient Rome.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant‘s Joe Deckelmeier, Nielsen delves into her decision to reprise her role as Lucilla in Gladiator 2. The actor teases that Scott himself was a major reason for her return, but she also teases that the film complicates Lucilla as a character and puts her in some challenging situations that were appealing to her as an actor. Read Nielsen’s full comment below:

“Well, first of all, obviously the opportunity to work with Ridley again was super important. And then there was this option of, oh my God, continuing telling the story of Lucilla, especially because they told me nothing about what would happen to her in the beginning. They just said, you will be happy, Connie, and they know me. So when I then finally did read the script, I was sort of like, yeah, yeah, I will be happy.

“And then we then started that amazing process that it is to work with Ridley and the incredible team of hundreds of people that he has brought with him, even from the first one. And just walking into the arena on that first day back was an absolute surreal experience.

“And at the same time also, I was just so excited to tell the story of this woman who Ridley has set up to hold within herself a crumbling empire and a crumbling legacy of her father, the loss of a son, and in the whole of it, this heart that’s being loved by an amazing man called Pedro Pascal. And then this moment where she finds her son again. I mean, these are incredible experiences and situations that Ridley set up for me. How could I be anything but excited?”

The Gladiator 2 cast features a number of newcomers, including Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, May Calamawy, and Rory McCann.

What Lucilla’s Return Means For Gladiator 2

Ridley Scott’s Sequel Doesn’t Forget About The Past

Lucilla played a relatively small but important role in the original Gladiator, serving as the audience’s way into Commodus’ inner circle. She also had a clear love for Maximus and, through everything, just wanted to protect her son, Lucius. The sequel’s story picks up about 25 years after the end of Gladiator, with Lucius having fled his old home and become estranged from his mother. Lucilla’s return means the sequel can delve into their relationship more fully, exploring the friction that exists there.

What’s more, it has now been confirmed that Lucius is Maximus’ son. Maximus’ legacy is set to play a large role in Gladiator 2, and Lucilla’s return will help flesh out the lasting impact of Crowe’s character. With Lucius forced to fight in the Colosseum, this will now be the second time Lucilla will be watching someone she cares about fighting for their life for audience entertainment, and this is further complicated by the fact that her character and Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius, the target of Lucius’ revenge, are romantically involved.

Our Take On Lucilla’s Return In Gladiator 2

Nielsen Could Be Given More Of A Chance To Shine

Any sequel has the challenging task of recapturing what made the original special while also pushing the story in exciting new directions. Though Maximus will loom large over Lucius’ journey, Lucilla serves as some important connective tissue between these two stories. This kind of connective tissue is made all the more important by the fact that it’s been over two decades since the original Gladiator.

Nielsen is a remarkably talented actor, and it sounds from her comment that Lucilla could have a larger and more complex role in Scott’s sequel. Since Gladiator 2 puts Lucius center stage, this opens up Nielsen’s character for some exciting developments. It remains to be seen how Lucilla’s story will fully play out, but the upcoming film is looking like a compelling return to Ancient Rome.