About that Paul Mescal 'masculine' feud rumor — Ridley Scott answers it

Here we go again — a bit of internet drama swirling around Ridley Scott, Paul Mescal, and their time working together on Gladiator II. Unless you like to spend your days lurking in film forums, you might have missed the recent rumours suggesting that Scott threw Mescal under the bus for the sequel's box office results, and said Paul wasn’t, shall we say, gladiatorial enough for the job. If you’re raising an eyebrow at all this, you’re not alone.

Gladiator II raked in $460 million globally and holds a 70% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Drama Behind the Scenes

So what set all this off? To recap: after Gladiator II finally hit cinemas, a supposed insider told various gossip outlets that Ridley Scott blamed Mescal for any less-than-stellar figures, and claimed he didn’t think the Normal People actor was 'masculine enough' for the role (their words, not mine — and rather silly, frankly). Naturally, this sort of story spreads like wildfire online: people love a good fallout between famous blokes.

Scott’s Camp Responds

Scott, who’s not one for public airing of laundry, didn't respond personally — but his camp did get in touch with Entertainment Weekly to stamp all over the rumour. In a statement, Scott’s representative set things straight, giving a bit of insight into their working relationship and the casting drama around Scott’s next project, The Dog Stars, for which Mescal was originally signed on. Here’s the statement, exactly as they gave it:

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.

So, chalk it up to a scheduling clash, not some testosterone-fuelled feud. By now, Mescal’s gone and was replaced by Jacob Elordi (who, incidentally, seems to be collecting major film roles as fast as Paul McCartney collects bass guitars). Still, Scott’s rep sounds quite pleased with Elordi stepping in:

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

Why Did Mescal Actually Leave?

OK, but why did Mescal bow out? The rumour mill says it was all about these supposed comments from Scott — but there’s a clue that offers a much duller (and more likely) explanation. Mescal’s schedule is completely jammed with Sam Mendes’s upcoming four-part biopic covering the Beatles, with Paul lined up to play Paul McCartney. This wasn’t tabloid guesswork; Scott himself mentioned in 2024 at a Directors Guild screening that Mescal’s time was all spoken for:

Scott admitted that Mescal was "stacked up, doing the Beatles next" and he might have to 'let him go'. So, hardly an acrimonious split.

• Mescal was in talks for The Dog Stars, Scott's next film, after starring in Gladiator II.
• Rumours claimed Scott criticised Mescal’s masculinity and blamed him for Gladiator II's supposed poor performance.
• Scott’s rep firmly denied these claims, chalking up Mescal's exit to scheduling conflicts with the Beatles biopic.
• Jacob Elordi ended up landing the role for The Dog Stars.
• The Dog Stars, now out in cinemas, features Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, and Josh Brolin.

As for Gladiator II itself, it hardly bombed, pulling in $460 million worldwide at the box office and landing a solid 70% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a friendlier 80% — which should quiet some of the more excitable gossip. The Dog Stars is currently screening, if you’re curious to see what Elordi does with the part.