Ridley Scott Reportedly Says Paul Mescal Wasn't ‘Masculine Enough’ for Gladiator 2

Director Ridley Scott reportedly blamed Paul Mescal for Gladiator II's underperformance, claiming the lead actor wasn't “masculine enough” for the role.

via: EW

Now that the Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s latest movie, The Dog Stars, has arrived in theaters with Euphoria‘s Jacob Elordi in the leading role, fans have started speculating about the movie that could-have-been had Mescal not dropped out prior to filming. The Normal People alum was originally slated to reunite with his Gladiator II director for the post-apocalyptic action thriller until “scheduling conflicts” got in the way. 

But a Monday report from Puck’s Matt Belloni claims that there was another reason for Mescal’s abrupt exit.

According to Puck, Mescal was replaced by fellow Academy Award nominee Elordi “at the last minute” because “Scott blamed Mescal for Gladiator II’s underperformance, believing he wasn’t ‘masculine’ enough.

However, a rep for Scott disputed this account in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly.

“Not true,” a spokesperson for Scott said when asked about the report. “Ridley loves Paul and was excited to work with him on Dog Stars after having [enjoyed] such a great collaboration on Gladiator II. Sadly, Paul’s rehearsal schedule for another film prevented him from ultimately doing Ridley’s film.”

The rep added, “While he was disappointed to lose Paul, he was thrilled to get the chance to work with Jacob, who was excellent in the role.”

Mescal’s exit from The Dog Stars was initially linked to his involvement in Sam Mendes’ four-part biopic film series about The Beatles, in which the actor will portray Paul McCartney. In fact, Scott said during a 2024 Directors Guild of America screening that he and Mescal would likely not reunite for The Dog Stars, while inadvertently confirming the latter’s involvement in Mendes’ films.

“Paul is actually stacked up, doing the Beatles next,” Scott said at the time. “So I may have to let him go.”

While Gladiator II earned $462 million worldwide, the long-awaited sequel to the 2000 hit reportedly cost upwards of $300 million to produce, along with additional marketing expenses. Notably, Mescal’s performance in the film became a much-debated subject, with critics pointing out that it was his first time leading a blockbuster after gaining acclaim as an indie darling. Through it all, Scott has long maintained his faith in the actor.

“In my job, I’ve got constant doubting Thomases driving me f---ing crazy,” Scott told EW ahead of the film’s release. “But when you’ve done the Formula 1 car around the track so many times, I do know how to take those bends.”

He additionally stated that Mescal “stands shoulder to shoulder” with Russell Crowe’s Oscar-winning work in the original Gladiator, which also took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.