Denzel Washington Expected to Win 3rd Oscar for ‘Gladiator II’

Actor and film producer Denzel Washington might be on his way to securing a third Academy Award with his role in “Gladiator II,” a victory that would place him in an elite group of three-time Oscar winners.

Washington plays the character “Marcinus” in Ridley Scott’s 2024 remake of the 2000 action film that previously won Best Picture. According to predictions from Gold Derby, the two-time Oscar winner is likely to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor, which would bring his total Oscar nominations to ten. Washington has previously been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for “Cry Freedom” (1988) and “Glory” (1990). If he wins in this category at the 2025 Academy Awards, it would be his first win in 22 years since his last victory for “Training Day” (2002).

According to IMDB, Washington stars alongside Paul Mescal, who plays Lucius, the grandson of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the film, as Lucius fights to restore the glory of Rome from tyrannical rulers, Marcinus opposes the emperors and mentors Lucius.

Washington shared his thoughts with Empire, saying, “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in. I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley.”

Washington, a celebrated actor, is expected to compete with other Hollywood heavyweights for the Best Supporting Actor nomination, including Samuel L. Jackson, Clarence Maclin, Kieran Culkin, and Stanley Tucci. Achieving ten nominations would place him alongside legends Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier.

In addition to his “Training Day” win, Washington has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actor category six other times for his roles in “Malcolm X” (1993), “The Hurricane” (2000), “Flight” (2013), “Fences” (2017), “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” (2018), and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” (2022).

The 2025 Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST on ABC. “Gladiator II” will be released on November 22, 2024.

Source: Gold Derby, IMDB, Empire, ABC