Paul Mescal on ‘Gladiator II’: Pedro Pascal’s Onscreen Antagonist Is “A Beast”

Anyone looking to challenge Gladiator II’s Pedro Pascal might want to reconsider, according to his co-star Paul Mescal. In a new interview with Empire, Mescal discusses Pascal’s surprisingly formidable physical abilities.

“I think I’d win in a fight between me and Pedro, but he’s deceptive,” said Mescal. “Pedro is one of the funniest men that I know, but he could f**k s**t up. Like, absolutely categorically. There’s a beast in there for sure.”

Mescal’s remarks resonate with earlier comments from Pascal himself, who, in an interview with Vanity Fair, referred to Paul as “Brick Wall Paul.”

“He got so strong,” Pascal recalled. “I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger….”

Empire’s cover story on Gladiator II also features insights from filmmaker Ridley Scott, who praised the film as “full-bore, brutal action” and “the best thing I’ve ever made.”

Mescal previously expressed his excitement for the film, hoping it could create a phenomenon similar to Barbenheimer, with both Gladiator II and Wicked opening on November 22.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Mescal said: “Wickdiator doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked if it has a similar effect to what it did for Barbie and Oppenheimer. It would be amazing because I think the films couldn’t be more polar opposites, and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend.”

In Scott’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2000 epic Gladiator, Mescal steps into the role of Lucius, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The story is set years after the original movie ended, with Lucius as a grown man.

After his home is overtaken by tyrannical emperors ruling Rome, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum. To restore Rome’s glory, he must draw strength from his past.

Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who clashes with Lucius in the Colosseum. The cast also includes Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger.

The screenplay was written by David Scarpa, based on a story he developed with Peter Craig, using characters created by David Franzoni. The film was produced by Douglas Wick, Ridley Scott, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, and David Franzoni, with Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Raymond Kirk, and Aidan Elliott as executive producers.

Source: Empire, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Tonight