Warning: Spoilers ahead for Gladiator 2!Pedro Pascal portrays General Marcus Acacius inGladiator 2, but the character succumbs to a fate that calls back to the actor’s memorable role from 2014. Considering how much his career has grown in the past decade, Pascal was an exciting name onGladiator 2’s cast list. While he’s had a steady acting career for years, Pascal gained notoriety after his stint portraying Prince Oberyn Martell inGame of Thrones. From there, he became a pivotal figure in shows likeNarcos, The Mandalorian, andThe Last of Us.
Pascal also acquired roles in both the DCEU and MCU, thanks toWonder Woman 1984and hiscasting in 2025’sThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. The actor’s role inGladiator 2brought an end to an excellent 2024, which saw him appear in four other movies. Unfortunately,Gladiator 2couldn’t put an end to the actor’s long-running character trend, but there might be hope withPedro Pascal’s upcoming 2025 releases.
General Marcus Acacius' Death In Gladiator 2 Explained
Pedro Pascal’s Character Didn’t Survive The Events Of Gladiator 2
Before General Acacius could carry out his rescue of Lucius, he and his loyal supporters were captured and accused of treason. WithMacrinus' grand plan inGladiator 2,Denzel Washington’s character convinced the emperors to “let the gods decide” what to do with Acacius by putting him in a gladiator fight against Lucius, his stepson. At this point, Lucius was still hellbent on avenging his wife’s death at the hands of Acacius, in addition to his stewing hatred pointed toward Rome’s rulers.
Gladiator 2 Ending Explained: Whose Hand Is That?
Gladiator 2’s ending is filled with epic action sequences, sword fights, and changing loyalties, as well as a familiar hand brushing fields of grain.
While fighting Lucius in the Colosseum after being deemed a traitor, Acacius didn’t intend to kill his stepson, so he backed off a bit while trying to get his true motives across to Lucius. The star gladiator bested his opponent and was ordered to kill Acacius. When Lucius refused to finish the job,the Praetorian Guard stepped in to execute Pascal’s Acacius, shooting him with numerous arrows from all directions while Lucilla watched on in horror.
Pedro Pascal’s Gladiator 2 Fate Continues A Character Death Trend
Pedro Pascal’s Characters Have Been Dying Since 1999
General Acacius certainly wasn’t the villain that Lucius thought he was. In fact, the men had similar views of Rome, butGladiator 2didn’t give Lucius and Acacius any chance of working together. Sadly, Acacius’Gladiator 2fate continuesPedro Pascal’s unfortunate character death trend, which has been going on for the past 25 years. From small guest appearances to prominent roles, Pascal’s characters keep dying on screen.
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Gladiator 2
For fans of Pedro Pascal, it’s safe to assume that the characters he plays might not last long. To date,Pascal has portrayed 10 characters in movies and TV shows that featured an on-screen death. Not only was his first on-screen death inBuffy the Vampire Slayerafter his character turned into a vampire, but Pascal’s first movie death coincidentally occurred inBloodsucking Bastards, which featured Pascal as a vampire. The actor will next appear inThe Last of Usseason 2, so anyone familiar with the story direction will have an idea of whether or not the death trend will continue.
General Acacius' Death In Gladiator 2 Repeats What Happened To Pedro Pascal In Game Of Thrones
Pascal’s Game Of Thrones Character Died In A 2014 Episode
Oddly enough, Pedro Pascal’s demise asGeneral Acacius inGladiator 2was not the first time one of his characters was killed in an arena. In 2014,Pascal’sGame of Thronescharacter, Prince Oberyn Martell, was killed in an arena during a duel.TheGame of Thronesseason 4 episode “The Mountain and the Viper” saw Tyrion Lannister’s trial by combat turn into a duel between Oberyn and The Mountain. Oberyn’sGame of Thronesdeath had much in common with Pascal’sGladiator 2fate, except Acacius wasn’t killed by his competitor.
“Gladiator 2 included a different kind of twist when it came to Pascal’s character death with Lucius' reluctance to execute Acacius in the arena.”
The Mountain got the better of Oberyn with immense strength, gouging the man’s eyes out of his crushed skull in one ofGame of Thrones' most brutal deaths. Before that, however, Oberyn seriously injured The Mountain with a poison-laced spear. Interestingly,Gladiator 2included a different kind of twist when it came to Pascal’s character death with Lucius' reluctance to execute Acacius in the arena. Either way, it still ended with a dead Pedro Pascal character. Here’s hoping that Pascal survives inThe Mandalorian & GroguandThe Fantastic Four.
