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After his home is taken over by the tyrannical emperors who now rule Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum and must look to his past to find the strength to restore Rome’s glory to its people. Several sequels were attempted to be written for the film. Russell Crowe and Sir Ridley Scott enlisted musician Nick Cave to write a version. His version focused on the more mythical elements of ancient Rome, and would have seen Maximus arrive in the afterlife only to encounter other souls who are yet to ascend further. Eventually, Jupiter and the other Roman gods task him with returning to Earth to find and kill Hephaestus, a former god who has betrayed them. From there, he is resurrected as a Christian and must travel back to Rome on a mission to stop the spread of Christianity, while also crossing paths with the new emperor, Lucius. The film would have ended with Maximus cursed to live forever, featuring a montage of soldiers fighting through the Crusades, World War II, and the Vietnam War, and would eventually reveal a modern-day Maximus working at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The studio decided not to make this version, but the script is available to read online. Emperor Geta: The Gods Have Spoken!. Featuring The 7PM Project: Episode July 3, 2024 (2024)