In that instance, Gladiator starts to sound like it had the same issues that Iron Man did back in its own production history.
That particular story was drawn from an EW article from the original push to promote Gladiator, and also found its way into an essay entitled “Gladiator and Contemporary American Society,” in which it was stated that Russell Crowe wrote that speech himself, thinking of his own home and wife that he missed at the time.
Another addition that was apparently borne from this process was the speech that Crowe’s Maximus gives about missing his farm, with soil colored like his wife’s hair.
Much as Jon Favreau and his actors pushed ahead to make that experience a memorable kickstart to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Russell Crowe and all involved seemed to make their lack of a completed script work in their favor.