Los Angeles, Aug 24 (IANS): Actor Paul Mescal has spoken about Pedro Pascal’s physical prowess as the two will be seen sharing screen space in “Gladiator II.”

“I think I’d win in a fight between me and Pedro, but he’s deceptive,” said Mescal in an interview with Empire.

He added: “Pedro is one of the funniest men that I know.... There’s a beast in there for sure.”

Mescal’s comments echo those of Pascal, who in an earlier interview with Vanity Fair, said he came to refer to his co-star as “Brick Wall Paul,” reports deadline.com.

“He got so strong,” recalled the actor.

“I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger….”

Filmmaker Ridley Scott called the film “full-bore, brutal action” and “the best thing I’ve ever made,” reports deadline.com.

Mescal’s comments on the film weren’t his first, as he previously looked to manifest a new version of Barbenheimer between Gladiator II and Wicked, both of which open on November 22.

Mescal in conversation with Entertainment Tonight said: “Wickdiator doesn’t really roll off the tongue does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked if it has a similar effect to what it did for ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’

“It would be amazing ’cause I think the films couldn’t be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend.”

In Scott’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2000 historical epic Gladiator, Mescal takes over the role of Lucius, son of Lucilla, nephew of Commodus, and grandson of murdered Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a Roman general going toe to toe with Lucius in the Colosseum, with Nielsen, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger among others in the cast.