Paul Mescal’s Lucius will face off against Pedro Pascal’s General Acacius in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2. The film is a sequel to the Oscar-winning film starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. The fight scenes in the sequel between Mescal and Pascal are expected to be far more intense and stylish than those between Crowe and Phoenix.
The Normal People star humorously claimed that he would win in a real-life fight with Pascal. The Last of Us star is not going to dispute this as he used to call Mescal “Brick Wall Paul” while filming the movie. Pascal also credited Mescal for inspiring him to endure the brutal fight scenes in the film.
Paul Mescal Says He Would Take Down Pedro Pascal In A Real-Life Fight Outside of Gladiator 2
Paul Mescal plays the role of Lucius Verus in Gladiator 2. He is the former heir of the Empire and son of Lucilla and lives with his wife & child in Numidia. He is brought back when the Roman army invades his home and takes him prisoner. Lucius’ biggest enemy in the arena would be Pedro Pascal‘s Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who trained under Maximus.
Mescal put in a great deal of effort to build his body for the role. He knew that he had to undergo multiple brutal fight scenes in the film and was fully prepared for it. The first film ended with Russell Crowe‘s Maximus succumbing to his wounds, hinting that Mescal’s fate in the film hangs in the balance.
While he may or may not come out victorious in the Lucius vs Acacius battle, Mescal is pretty confident that he would win a fight between him and Pascal. He shared this opinion with Empire Magazine during a recent interview. But the Aftersun actor clearly doesn’t underestimate his opponent.
He also shared that Pascal is deceptive and could do some damage. He was pretty sure that the Game of Thrones star hid a beast in him. Mescal told Empire:
I think I’d win in a fight between me and Pedro, but he’s deceptive. Pedro is one of the funniest men that I know, but he could f*ck sh*t up. Like, absolutely categorically. There’s a beast in there for sure.
Pedro Pascal wouldn’t counter Mescal’s opinion as he had previously shared with Vanity Fair that he would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight Mescal again. Pascal shared that Mescal “got so strong” for Gladiator 2, adding that it was brutal going up against such a fit, talented, and younger actor in the film.
Paul Mescal Showed Great Commitment To Portray A Gladiator Authentically
Paul Mescal shared with Vanity Fair that he was determined to look like a true Gladiator in the film. He shared that he wanted to look like someone who could inflict a bit of damage. However, he was careful not to look like an underwear model instead of a warrior.
Mescal shared that when his muscles started growing, he had a strong feeling about his body that gave him a great psyche useful for the film. The All of Us Strangers actor shared with Vanity Fair:
I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when shit hits the fan. I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.
Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently. It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.
Pedro Pascal added that Mescal was a big reason why he allowed himself to endure such brutal scenes in the film. He shared, “Outside of Ridley being a total genius, Paul is a big reason as to why I would put my poor body through that experience.” Fans are waiting to see a big pay-off to all these efforts put in by the stars.
Gladiator 2 will hit theaters on November 22, 2024.
