Gladiator 2 has now cost almost as much as third-biggest Marvel movie

The Ridley Scott sequel, Gladiator 2, is very much on the way, and this epic historical drama is now set to cost almost as much as one of the biggest Marvel movies.

There’s plenty of reasons to be excited about Gladiator 2. For one, Gladiator was always one of Ridley Scott‘s most memorable films. But combine that with a stellar cast and a budget that’s now hit Marvel heights, and you just know it’s going to be truly magnificent.

Gladiator 2 will take place 15 years after the original story and will focus on Lucius, who is looking to learn the truth about his biological father. Of course, there’ll be plenty of gladiator battles and bloodthirsty rulers, too.

Historical dramas usually require a lot of effort, particularly when they have a scope as epic as Scott’s. That said, the new reported budget is still pretty eye-watering.

Gladiator 2 costs almost as much as a Marvel movie

With an original budget of $165 million, Gladiator 2 has now reportedly cost $310 million, bringing it close to the budget of Avengers: Infinity War.

If that’s true, it may just end up in the ranks of the most expensive movies ever made. “It’s a runaway,” one source told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s not being managed.”

For comparison, Avengers: Infinity War cost $325 million when it was released — the ninth most expensive movie of all time. If the inflated budget was indeed correct, then it would also make Gladiator 2 more expensive than some of the most costly films of 2023, including Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

The budget blow-up came about for a couple of reasons. Namely, the 2023 industry strikes ended up costing around $600,000 a week. This wasn’t even the only snag Gladiator 2 hit — production was also in hot water after four crew members were hospitalized, and PETA received whistleblower accounts about animal abuse on set.

Of course, Marvel‘s Infinity War would go on to make just over $2 billion at the box office, and is still one of the highest-grossing movies ever made. If Gladiator 2 can replicate even a fraction of that success (and with its star-studded cast, maybe it can), then it might have made the surprise budget a little bit worth it.