“I was just destroyed”: A Gladiator 2 Stunt Sequence Was So Agonizing, It Would’ve Made Pedro Pascal Appreciate His ‘Game of Thrones’ Death

Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated Gladiator 2, starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and more, is just a few days away from its’ release. The sequel to 2000’s Gladiator is going to see Lucius (Mescal) seeking revenge against Acacius (Pascal) and fighting as a gladiator for Marcrinus (Washington).

Scott had shared that over the years, several attempts were made to write the script for Gladiator 2, but many writers were afraid to take it on until David Scarpa. Ahead of the release of the movie, Pedro Pascal reveals one sequence from the movie that would make him appreciate one particularly brutal Game of Thrones sequence involving him.

Gladiator 2 actor Pedro Pascal recalls filming a fight sequence that ‘destroyed’ him

Pedro Pascal is one of the most admired actors in the industry who plays Marcus Acacius in Gladiator 2 opposite Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus. Ahead of the release of the movie, the actor spoke to IMDb, where he recalled filming a fight sequence for the movie, which he says ‘destroyed’ him.

Pascal added that Ridley Scott was set to film the whole sequence of him fighting Mescal from start to finish, which he noted was thrilling, but could feel relentless. He further shared about another fight sequence in which he says he had to fight a few men to get to Mescal, and they shot that sequence from start to finish. The Last of Us actor mentioned,

I was just destroyed by it. I was like howling.

In an interview with EW, the actor was asked about the distinguishing and incomparable aspect of making the movie, to which he said it was like getting his ass kicked by Paul Mescal. However, Paul Mescal added,

There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead. I did it in one of the takes.

Mescal pointed out that the shot didn’t make it to the final cut, with him also adding that Ridley Scott is one of the funniest men he’s ever come across. He mentioned that he loves how distinct the fights are from each other, and he’s really proud of how one can feel the accumulation of violence on the character’s body as the movie progresses.

Pedro Pascal also acknowledged that there were many incredible stuntmen in one area where they would learn the choreography and major sequences. He recalled that they could hear the cacophonous roar of men going into battle, which was fulfilling in terms of what the energy of the movie was going to be.

Pedro Pascal’s take on his famous Game of Thrones death sequence

Pascal played Oberyn Martell on HBO’s Game of Thrones, and in his short role, he became a fan-favorite character on the show. The actor’s take on his fight sequence in Gladiator 2 recalls Martell’s death on the show, which, to date, is one of the most brutal and heartbreaking deaths. But it might not be the same for Pascal.

In an interview on First We Feast’s Hot Ones, the actor was asked about the mechanics of shooting a scene where his character has his eyes gouged out of his skull. In the series, Ser Gregor ‘the Mountain’ Cleagnae crushed Oberyn Martell’s eyes and then skull with his bare hands. Pascal replied,

There were all of these fleshy bits that they were kind of placing all over my face and pumping blood so that it would pool, you know, and spread through the amphitheater for this good wide shot of the two of us from above.

The actor mentioned that he was ‘dead sleep’ recalling that it was very hot the day they were filming. He also noted that by the time he realized that he had reached the end of the shoot, which was really intense, he described, it was ‘ very cathartic’. Pascal said that he went into the deepest sleep he had ever been in.

Pedro Pascal might have slept, but his death did awaken a lot of viewers because it was gruesome, extremely disturbing, and saddening at the same time. However, fans are very excited to watch him fight Paul Mescal in Gladiator II.

Gladiator 2 is set for release on November 22, 2024. Game of Thrones is available to stream on HBO.