The excitement surrounding Gladiator 2 has left many fans wondering about the return of Russell Crowe’s iconic character, Maximus. Despite the anticipation, Maximus will not be making an appearance in the sequel.

The movie’s director, Ridley Scott, spoke to The New York Times before the upcoming release of “Gladiator II” and revealed that the first few days of production didn’t go as planned – mainly because Phoenix was overwhelmed and Crowe believed his behavior was “unprofessional.”

Gladiator” director Ridley Scott recently told The New York Times that Russell Crowe said Joaquin Phoenix was being “terribly unprofessional” on set when Phoenix was getting cold feet and had to be convinced to stay on the movie.