As Gladiator II is getting set to step back into the Colosseum this fall, there’s going to be a lot of stories about director Ridley Scott’s skills behind the camera. But if there’s any member of the Gladiator II cast that has quite possibly the best stories about the franchise,

"It is an art, choosing gladiators. They're usually prisoners of war," says Denzel Washington, who plays Macrinus, as the trailer opens. The sequel follows Lucius, portrayed by Paul Mescal, the former heir to the Empire, who is taken prisoner and becomes a fighter.