The filmography of the late, great Tony Scott is packed with Denzel Washington favourites – from Man On Fire and Crimson Tide, to Déjà Vu and Unstoppable. The director and star had a real creative chemistry spanning years, right up until Scott’s untimely death in 2012. And now, for the second time, Washington is collaborating with Scott’s similarly legendary filmmaker brother Ridley, stepping into Gladiator II – their first work together since 2007’s American Gangster.

This time, Washington is donning ancient Roman gear as Macrinus, a wealthy arms dealer who “wants to be Emperor and he’s willing to do anything to get there,” he tells Empire in the world-exclusive Gladiator II issue. Having worked with both Scott brothers, Washington has experienced their individual brilliance first-hand. “I don’t compare directors,” he says. “You see the different personalities. I suppose they do [have similarities]. On the days when we’re shooting, I’m busy with what I’m doing. So I’m not comparing this one to that one, but obviously both are great filmmakers. They can’t miss.”

For Washington, the fact that Ridley Scott would be returning to the world of Gladiator – in a sequel set over 20 years after the previous film, this time following Paul Mescal’s Lucius into the Colosseum – was all the reason he needed to jump aboard. “There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker, and I was tremendously inspired by Ridley,” he says. Plus, the success of their previous collaboration helped. “We had a great go-round the first go-round [on American Gangster], and here we are.” In the near-two-decades since they last worked together, Scott hasn’t lost any of his energy or edge. “He’s engaged. He’s excited about life and his next film. He’s an inspiration,” Washington says. “We should all want to feel like that at 86.” Buckle up – any kind of Washington-Scott joint, whether Tony or Ridley, is something to relish.