Just as Joaquin Phoenix played Commodus, an actual Roman emperor, in the 2000 hit starring Russell Crowe, the new characters Geta, Caracalla and Macrinus each did rule the empire. Note: Gladiator II spoilers follow.

It's a Tuesday night and I'm sitting in a dark theater, quietly waiting for Denzel Washington to make his grand appearance in Gladiator II. In full transparency, he's the main reason I wanted to see the movie.

In Gladiator II, Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, a deliciously evil arms dealer who acquires Paul Mescal’s Lucius for his stable of gladiators. Though the film is set in 200 A.D. Rome, Washington speaks like Denzel Washington,