Warning: Spoilers ahead for Gladiator II!Macrinus was a villain in Gladiator II with an intriguing backstory, but he made a major mistake by not killing Lucius Verus Aurelius. The cast of Gladiator II includes Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Pedro Pascal. While Mescal's Lucius was building on the legacy of his father, Maximus, played by Russell Crowe in the first Gladiator film, Washington's Macrinus was the character that stood out the most in the movie. There are many similarities between Lucius and Macrinus in Gladiator II. However, unlike Lucius, Macrinus did not come from influential parents.

Even though Washington's character was presented as a villain in Gladiator II, Macrinus was actually seeking revenge against the Roman Empire after serving as a slave to Marcus Aurelius for much of his life. After his time enslaved, Macrinus became a gladiator owner, arms dealer, and eventually a Roman Emperor.