Ridley Scott Paul Mescal rumor was officially dismissed on Monday when the director’s publicist told Just Jared the story was false. The spokesperson added that the filmmaker remains enthusiastic about future projects with the Irish star.

The claim originated from a Puck report that quoted unnamed insiders saying the director blamed the actor for Gladiator II‘s underperformance, alleging he wasn’t “masculine” enough. The outlet’s allegation has been refuted by the representative, who said the story is inaccurate.

Mescal headlined the 2024 sequel Gladiator II, which pulled roughly $462 million worldwide, underscoring a strong box‑office showing. The epic was both directed and produced by the veteran filmmaker, marking a notable collaboration.

Early 2025, it was announced that Mescal would exit the upcoming sci‑fi drama The Dog Stars because a rehearsal schedule for another film conflicted with the shoot. Jacob Elordi was tapped to fill the vacancy, and the studio praised his performance in the role, noting the change was purely logistical.

“Not true. Ridley loves Paul and was excited to work with him on Dog Stars after having enjoying such a great collaboration on Gladiator 2,” the rep said.

With the misunderstanding cleared, fans can look forward to the possibility of the two creatives reuniting on a future project.