Gladiator 2 FIRST LOOK: Paul Mescal battles Pedro Pascal

Paul Mescal showcased his rippling muscles as he took to the Coliseum in first offical snaps from much the anticipated Gladiator sequel.

Due for release later this year, the Irish actor, 28, takes on the role of Roman Empire Lucius Verus, the grown-up son of Lucilla, portrayed as a child in the Oscar-winning original from 2000 starring Russell Crowe.

Paul donned a full suit of armour, complete with breast place and leather kilt, bearing a striking resemblance to his predecessor Russell – who will not appear in the sequel. 

The Normal People star then went shirtless for a dramatic scene where he appeared to be preparing for battle before taking on blood soaked Pedro Pascal, 49. 

Describing his character to Vanity Fair Paul said: ‘He’s a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer.’ 

In another action packed moment the duo went head to head with Paul diving into the air while Pedro’s character looked terrified as he lost grip of his sword. 

The Last Of Us’ Pedro plays Roman general Acacius, who trained as a gladiator beneath Russell’s character Maximum.

With the actor saying: ‘[Acacius] learned from the best, so of course this code of honour is ingrained into his training and into his existence. But at the end of the day, he’s a different person. And that can’t change who he is. 

Before teasing: ‘Maximus is Maximus, and that can’t be replicated. That just makes Acacius capable of different things.’ 

Denzel Washington, 69, was also pictured for the first time as Macrinus, dripping in gold he plays an arms dealer who lives lavishly and keeps gladiators for sport. 

It had been rumoured for years, the sequel will centre on Lucius (Paul), the nephew of Commodus and son of Maximus’ former lover Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).

Lucius was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in the original Gladiator, who idolised Maximus for his battles.

The sequel will be set after Maximus’ death, following Lucius, who has long thought that his mother is dead only to clap eyes on her when he is brought to Rome as a slave. 

The cast also includes Joseph Quinn as Emperor Caracalla, Fred Hechinger as Emperor Greta as a pair of brothers who rule a decaying and corrupt Rome.

Meanwhile returning Gladiator stars Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) and Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) will also be returning for the sequel. 

Director Ridley Scott, 86, is back to helm the reported £250M sequel, after the original bagged five Oscars including  Best Director, Best Actor and Best Picture, as well as earning £400M worldwide.

The original story is set in 180 AD, followed Maximus (Crowe) returning home after leading Roman forces to victory over Germanic tribes.

Meanwhile, his Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), is secretly murdered by his treacherous son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), after telling him he was unfit to rule.

After Maximus refused to pledge his loyalty to Commodus, he murdered his family, as Maximus is captured by slave traders as he must fight his way through various obstacles to get his vengeance against Commodus.

The film from director Ridley Scott and writers David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson is still considered a classic.

While there had been talk of a sequel since 2001, it never fully came to fruition since 2018 when Paramount gave the project a green light.

The highly anticipated sequel had been shooting in Morocco and the neighboring Sahara desert. 

Filming got off to a shaky start when it appeared a special effects shot had gone wrong, causing a dangerous explosion.

One on-set source shared their hopes that the injured crew members would make a full recovery, though their condition is unclear. 

‘It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path,’ the source recalled. ‘In years of filming I’ve never seen an accident so scary.’

Witnesses to the explosion reportedly speculated that it may have been caused by a gas pipe rupture on set.

‘Six production staff had to be rushed to hospital for treatment,’ they said, and it appears that no actors on the film were injured in the inferno.

‘Hopefully everyone will be OK, but it was a serious accident,’ the source added. ‘Everyone involved, from the lowliest runners to the star names, has been shaken up by this.’

The original historical epic grossed five times its budget, and it helped cement the stardom of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.

Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

While the new film brings back director Ridley Scott, Russell won’t be featured, as his character died at the end of the original film. 

Gladiator 2 is expected to debut in cinemas later this year.