Gladiator Director Ridley Scott Reveals His Hot Take On Joaquin Phoenix’s Villain 23 Years Later

Gladiator director Ridley Scott has revealed his very different take on Joaquin Phoenix’s villainous Commodus 23 years after the movie was first released. Earning Phoenix a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards, Gladiator marked the first collaboration between the celebrated actor and Scott, who would later tap him to star in his latest historical epic, Napoleon. In the pair’s first collaboration, however, Phoenix played the power-hungry son of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who murdered his father to secure his claim to rule.