Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal addresses his physical preparation for the role, calling out superhero actors for lying about their diets and workouts. Directed again by Ridley Scott, the upcoming sequel continues the story of his 2000 sword-and-sandal epic starring Russell Crowe. Mescal stars as Lucius in the follow-up movie, and videos having already been released showing his workout-heavy training for the role.
Now, as the wait for Gladiator 2‘s 2024 release date continues, Mescal discusses his training for the film in a recent interview with Esquire UK, which was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The actor touches on Crowe’s physique from the original movie and how it differs from something like a superhero movie, throwing some shade in the process. Check out Mescal’s full comment below:
“I think it goes without saying that if you’re playing a gladiator you’ve got to be fit and strong. But I think a film like Gladiator is different because, to me, it’s not a superhero film where half that gig is, to my mind, just getting big and strong. This is like, Russell had to be strong in this because it makes sense for his character.
“And I think there is way more interesting questions and conversations to be had about films like this rather than, ‘How many calories did you eat in a day?’ Which I’m convinced is always… Whenever you hear somebody saying they ate 7,000 calories in a day, I think they’re lying.
“But yeah, it’s been really interesting. It’s not something that I’ve done before, but I love my trainer. It’s starting to get addictive. Big boots to fill, for sure.”
Mescal’s Gladiator 2 Physique Comments Explained
Ultimately, what Mescal seems to be getting with his comments regarding Crowe and superhero movies that different types of physiques benefit different types of roles. For the 2000 original film, Crowe had to be physically capable not only due to the physical nature of the role, but because his character, Maximus, is a former Roman general who is sold into slavery and forced to fight for his freedom.
It was important that Crowe had the body of someone who had spent his life fighting, with this then helping him defeat his enemies in the various gladiator coliseums. The physique, then, is really a necessity of Maximus’ soldier lifestyle, in which he regularly fights tooth and nail just to survive. Superheroes, on the other hand, while also spending a great deal of time fighting bad guys, are generally highly muscular and toned because that’s what audiences often expect of superheroes and that’s how they were drawn in the comics.
Crowe didn’t look like a highly chiseled gym god in Gladiator, as many superheroes do, but like a man whose body has been shaped by the harsh, punishing lifestyle that he leads. This is in contrast to many superhero movies in which actors become so buff that one could argue it would actually be a hindrance during any real fighting. There’s nothing inherently better or worse about either approach, they’re just different. Mescal’s latest comments, however, certainly suggest that his Gladiator 2 physique will be reminiscent of the original movie.
