Ridley Scott Blames Paul Mescal's 'Masculinity' for Mixed 'Gladiator 2' Response: Report

Ridley Scott isn't hiding his dissatisfaction with the public reaction to *Gladiator II*. A new industry report claims the veteran director placed the blame squarely on lead star Paul Mescal, suggesting the acclaimed Irish actor lacked the hyper-masculine edge required to carry the massive swords-and-sandals sequel. According to Puck reporter Matthew Belloni’s *What I’m Hearing* newsletter, Scott reportedly voiced frustration over Mescal's performance, alleging the actor was simply not "masculine" enough for the gritty role. The director allegedly felt the casting fell short of matching the sheer physical dominance and rough charisma that Russell Crowe brought to the original Oscar-winning movie back in 2000.

The box office numbers for the Roman epic were far from a failure, with the picture grossing over $462 million worldwide alongside an 80 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, moviegoers and critics generally considered the follow-up inferior to the iconic original. That lingering narrative apparently left Scott deeply dissatisfied with the project's overall reception. The alleged fallout directly impacted Mescal's future working relationship with the filmmaker. Scott reportedly decided to drop the *Normal People* breakout from his next directorial venture, *The Dog Stars*, choosing instead to recast the leading role with *Euphoria* star Jacob Elordi.

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