Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is set to release in a matter of days. The film features Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and more in key roles. Ahead of the film’s premiere, Washington has opened up about his role.

Talking about his character Macrinus from Gladiator II, Denzel Washington shared, “Today, many rich men build a stable of racehorses. Macrinus has a stable of gladiators. And when he adds Lucius to that stable, he has a much bigger goal in mind. Lucius is a natural-born leader and a great fighter, which makes him useful in many ways. But pure rage is not a tool; it’s a disadvantage. Macrinus never wants to lose control. He doesn’t want to be the emperor. He wants to control the emperor. And power is an addictive drug. Once you have it, you can’t live without it. Once he had a taste for taking, he had to have more. He doesn’t really care about anyone. He uses them. If people can’t make him more powerful, he has no interest in them.”

He added, “It’s huge — like Cecil B. DeMille on steroids. Ridley doesn’t have a hundred guys in the battle scenes, he has a thousand of them. He doesn’t have 20 horses. He has 20 score of horses. Everywhere you turn on this film, you’re in that world. Being on set with thousands of soldiers in beautiful costumes and brilliant colors and swords and shields and horses made this seem like more than a movie for me,” the actor continues. “It’s a world unto itself. People are going to be blown away by what they see.”

Set years after the tragic death of Maximus, Gladiator II will follow Paul Mescal’s Lucius as he enters the Colosseum after his home falls to tyrannical rulers who now grip Rome in fear.