Fans of "Scandal" know that when it comes to fixing things, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) can handle it all, but she does it with the help of her team known as the Gladiators. Last season, Olivia lost two of her Gladiators as Harrison died while Abby was hired by the White House as its new Press Secretary. In season 5, show creator Shonda Rhimes said that viewers will get to see the "reconstitution" of the Gladiators.
The Gladiators were not the focus of season 4 as Rhimes told TVLine that they were focused on healing Olivia after what she had been through, but season 5 will be different as fans will see a stronger, more effective group.
It has been reported that there will be a new Gladiator to join Olivia's group, and there has been some speculations that Cornelius Smith Jr. — who played activist Marcus Walker in a previous episode — might be that person. In July, it was announced that Smith will be joining the cast as a series regular.
When Rhimes was asked if Marcus will be part of Olivia's group, she told TVLine, "I honestly don't know," and added that Marcus doesn't appear until later in the season.
Last week, it was rumored that joining Olivia's Gladiators is Mia Maestro, as she'd been reportedly cast for a major recurring role in the ABC drama. According to Deadline, Maestro's character is being kept under wraps.
Den of Geek speculates that the new Gladiator may be someone that Olivia has worked with in the past, such as Josie Marcus (Lisa Kudrow), or it could be a returning Gladiator like Stephen Finch (Henry Ian Cusick).
It looks like fans will have to wait for season 5 for the new Gladiator's identity to be revealed. For now, viewers can participate in the countdown to the premiere on ABC's website.
Season 5 of "Scandal" premieres on Sept. 24 at 8/7c on ABC.
