Gladiator 2: You Probably Missed This Recasting In The Trailer

The reveals-laden "Gladiator 2" trailer is loaded with stars from top to bottom. Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington topline the action-packed sequel, which will be all about the late Maxiumus' (Russell Crowe, who allegedly hated making the original "Gladiator") son, Lucius (Paul Mescal). The young boy has risen to manhood, but it appears that Emperor Geta (Joseph Quinn) bears just as much hatred for him as Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) did for his father and wants him to die violently in gladiatorial combat. Yet among all of those familiar faces, it appears one member of the cast has been stealthily replaced, likely due to the passage of time. Since the "Gladiator" films aren't based on a true story, anything can happen.

New flashbacks can be seen in the advertisement, and instead of Spencer Treat Clark playing a younger version of Lucius, we see Alfie Tempest in the role. Since over 20 years have passed since the film was released and Clark is now an adult, the replacement makes a lot of sense, but it's surprising the studio didn't dig up any alternate takes of Clark to weave into those flashback scenes. But it's not like the young actor's hurting for parts these days.

Spencer Treat Clark's career has continued apace since his child-acting days. After "Gladiator," he appeared in "Mystic River" and "Unbreakable" as a child. He spent his teen years appearing in a variety of horror film sequels and remakes, including "The Last House on the Left," "The Town That Dreaded Sundown," and "The Last Exorcism Part II." 

His big breakthrough as an adult actor arrived with the role of Werner von Strucker on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." He recurred for eight episodes of the program. He then landed the regular role of Adrian Dolan on "Animal Kingdom," appearing regularly in the show's first four seasons. He has since recurred on Apple TV+'s "Manhunt" four times as Lewis Powell and appeared in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" as Steve. Upcoming projects include the remake of "Salem's Lot," which is set to debut on Max sometime in 2024. That's a long way up from playing a cute kid in a perilous place.