If you look at the critics' responses to Gladiator II, one common refrain you will see, which is also in our own Gladiator II review, is that the 2024 movie release's action is impressive. In the era of social media, we have often seen the work actors have to put in to get in shape in order to look superhuman. This film was no exception. A lot of the action revolves around cast members Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal. However, while the duo likely went through very similar training, they had very different reactions to it.
What Paul Mescal Thought Of Gladiator II Training
One would expect that as the lead of Gladiator II cast, Paul Mescal went through a lot to get into shape, and hearing him tell it, that’s apparently the case. He appeared on The Graham Norton Show and said that getting in shape, including the workouts and the diet, was actually fun. He explained…
It’s like a total first world problem. It’s like, you’ve got one of the best trainers in the world. You have your food delivered to you and it’s fun. Yeah
While the workouts themselves were almost certainly tough, there were elements that Mescal actually enjoyed. He had a great trainer telling him what to do and even if the diet was tough, it wasn’t something he had to worry about as he just ate what was brought to him. Working out was likely Mescal’s main focus at this point, and so it’s understandable that he would find the fun in it.
While Mescal enjoyed the workouts, there were parts of Gladiator II that he liked a lot less. The actor says that even in the shape he was in, the heat in the Coliseum was so brutal that it nearly made him sick.
Paul Mescal may have actually thought it was fun getting into gladiator shape. However, his co-star Pedro Pascal apparently did not.
What Pedro Pascal Thought Of His Gladiator II Training
Pedro Pascal likely went through a very similar process to get himself ready for Gladiator II. His character is supposed to be leading an army, so he has to look like a fighter. However, when ET told Pascal that his co-star thought the training was “fun” he had a very different reaction, saying…
I bet it was fun for him. Maybe it would have been fun for me too if I was 20 years younger. I’m definitely getting to the point where I can’t just wake up and do that shit.
As somebody who is much closer to Pedro Pascal’s age than Paul Mescal’s, I can certainly get behind that sentiment. When you’re in your 20s, your body can simply do things more easily than it can when you’re in your late 40s.
While Pedro Pascal might not have had fun getting in shape for Gladiator II, the workouts were probably good practice. He likely had to do something similar to get in superhero shape for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie. Maybe things were more fun the second time.
That aside, though, you can see Gladiator II's pair of leading men -- muscles and all -- when the film hits theaters on November 22
