Why Denzel Washington's appearance in 'Gladiator II" is being praised as a thirst trap

Denzel Washington's fans are clearly excited about his appearance in the highly-anticipated "Gladiator II" film.

In the cover art and first-look images from the film, which features the "Equalizer 3" actor's side profile, the Oscar winner looks regal as he sits majestically in what appears to be a golden chair.

Washington plays Macrinus, a powerful broker who uses his wealth to support the Roman army and his gladiators, in the upcoming movie, which also stars Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal.

Soon after the release of the film's images and trailer, fans took to social media to react to seeing Washington showcased in all his glory.

"The lesson is actually that there is no one — no one — like Denzel. Holy f***." one person reacted.

"Denzel has this aura," another wrote in response to the trailer.

A third added, "Denzel fine af."

A fourth joked, "I’ve seen enough. Hand him the Oscar."

"Gladiator II" is set to hit theaters on November 22, about 24 years after the first movie came out and will pick up where the first film left off.

In an interview with Variety Fair, director Ridley Scott offered more details about Washington's impressive character.

“Denzel is an arms dealer who supplies food for the armies in Europe, supplies wine and oil, makes steel, makes spears, weapons, cannons, and catapults. So he is a very wealthy man. Instead of having a stable of racehorses, he has a stable of gladiators."

"He’s beautiful. He drives a golden Ferrari. I got him a gold-plated chariot," Scott added.

As for how Macrinus treats his gladiators, Scott said, “To the guys who fight in the arena, I guess he’s pretty f------ cruel, right?”

Fans reaction to Washington's upcoming portrayal in the "Gladiator" sequel comes after some were similarly excited about the Pascal and Mescal's stunning appearances in the promo material.

"pedro pascal in gladiator 2 is the hottest a man has ever or will ever look," one fan wrote on X, captioning a collage of images of the actor in the trailer.

Another fan, who shared a GIF of Mescal with his shirt off, wrote on X, "i’m rly not going to survive this movie."

Another reacted to the trailer, writing , "I’m invested!!!"

This article was originally published on TODAY.com