The following contains minor set-up spoilers for Gladiator II, opening in theaters on November 22Gladiator II boasts an impressive cast, including Matt Lucas who may have left The Great British Bake Off in part due to the opportunity to join the film. Set sixteen years after the events of the first Gladiator, Gladiator II follows Lucius Verus as he is forcibly brought back to Rome as a gladiator and finds himself caught amid a powerplay for the throne. Gladiator II's cast of characters includes figures that allude to the real-life history of Rome as well as some important returning faces, like Connie Nielsen's Lucilla. There are also many new faces, including Matt Lucas.

Lucas got his start in BBC shows like The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer and Shooting Stars before fully breaking out with the sketch comedy Little Brittain. This led to a more high-profile career for the actor,...