star spot
Coronation Street fans shocked as they spot soap fan favourite in Gladiator 2 scenes with Paul Mescal
The star left Corrie in dramatic scenes aired seven years ago
CORONATION Street viewers were stunned after spotting a fan favourite in Gladiator 2 opposite Paul Mescal.
The Hollywood blockbuster, which was released last year, is a sequel to 2000's historical epic Gladiator.
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Fans were gobsmacked to recognise former Corrie star Dean Fagan among the cast.
Dean played the role of mechanic Luke Britton from 2014 until his exit in 2018.
His soap stint ended when Luke was murdered by villain Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre).
Taking to Reddit, a viewer penned: "The husband and I FINALLY got round to watching Gladiator 2 last night as it’s available to stream Stateside.
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"I spot this actor, and I’m like, where do I know him from?! Then it hit me!"
Continuing, the fan shared a slight spoiler by adding: "Loved Luke as a character. He had quite a few lines, his own scene with Paul Mescal’s character, and bonus, he survived in the movie!
"Love seeing Corrie actors, (especially fellow Northerners!) in mainstream movies, no matter the part."
Meanwhile, Gladiator 2 takes place 16 years after the original film with Paul Mescal starring as Lucius Verus Aurelius, the exiled Prince of Rome.
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Sir Derek Jacobi and Connie Nielsen each reprise their roles for the second instalment.
Since its release late last year, Gladiator 2 has grossed $461.3million worldwide.
Luke Britton's loved ones bid him a sad farewell at his funeral on Coronation Street
It received two Golden Globe nominations - including a Best Supporting Actor nod for Denzel Washington.
In addition, the film has been nominated for Best Costume Design at next month's Oscars ceremony.
As for Luke Britton, he was Phelan's third murder victim in Weatherfield.
Following the character's dramatic exit - shot and burned alive in a car - Dean admitted he was thrilled when Corrie boss Kate Oates revealed the shocking exit storyline.
He said at the time: “I was excited to realise I was going to be a pivotal part of the start of Phelan’s demise, the start of the unravelling, that someone else has found out the truth and he has now killed again which is a desperate act and one that is going to eventually start more questions being asked.
Biggest soap stunts
Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters' lives.
Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.
CORONATION STREET
- Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash - and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
- Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O'Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.
EASTENDERS
- Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap - she returned as a guest before the character's death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
- Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus - the 764 to Barking - lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).
EMMERDALE
- James Barton's death (2016): Interestingly about James' (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.
"The Phelan era is huge and he has played such a massive part in the street so to be involved in that is brilliant.
"Luke will play his part in the whole end game.”
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After leaving the ITV soap, Dean went to appear in the likes of Vera, Doctors and Time.
The actor also portrayed Finn Ahern in Irish thriller drama Smother from 2022 to 2023.
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