The news that Russell Crowe won’t be reprising his classic role in Gladiator 2 may be disappointing, but the decision actually increases the need for his return in a different historical action movie follow-up. While legacy sequels typically require the return of a major protagonist in order to continue the story that was set out in the original, Gladiator 2's cast is leaving out the 2000 classic's main character. After playing Maximus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, historical action star Russell Crowe will not be returning for the anticipated sequel, though original cast member Connie Nielsen will be back alongside Paul Mescal.

https://screenrant.com/master-commander-2-crowe-need-gladiator-2-absence/