According to helmer Ridley Scott, 'Gladiator' star Russell Crowe initially wanted to reincarnate his character of Maximus in a proposed sequel.

Russell Crowe's Maximus died at the end of Gladiator and his presence keeps haunting Gladiator II in ways that ultimately hurt the film.

Crowe won a Best Actor Oscar for playing the character of Maximus, who dies at the end of the 2000 original Russell Crowe doesn't return to the Colosseum in the long anticipated sequel to Gladiator — but it wasn't for a lack of trying.