Ridley Scott's representative has refuted claims that actor Paul Mescal was dismissed from the film 'The Dog Stars' because his portrayal in 'Gladiator II' was deemed insufficiently masculine. Reports from Puck's newsletter 'What I'm Hearing' had suggested Scott blamed Mescal for the sequel's reception and subsequently replaced him with Jacob Elordi in 'The Dog Stars'.
However, a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly by Scott's representative clarified the situation. It stated that Mescal's inability to appear in 'The Dog Stars' was due to a conflict with his rehearsal schedule for another project. The representative added that Scott enjoyed working with Mescal on 'Gladiator II' and was disappointed by the scheduling conflict.
At the time of the casting change, it was reported that Mescal's commitment to Sam Mendes' upcoming four-part biopic about The Beatles prevented him from collaborating with Scott again. Mescal is set to play Paul McCartney in these films, which are anticipated for release in April 2028.