Paul Mescal defies gravity in 'SNL' musical parody of 'Gladiator II'

Paul Mescal is taking his Glicked agenda to the following degree.

Earlier this 12 months, the Regular Folks alum was on the forefront of manifesting Barbenheimer 2.0 after studying that Depraved and Gladiator II would share a November launch date. However why cease there? Whereas making his Saturday Evening Reside internet hosting debut this weekend, Mescal gave viewers the very best of each worlds by reimagining the Roman epic because the full-blown musical Gladiator Twosical.

The SNL sketch options Mescal reprising his function as Lucius Verus Aurelius — however as a substitute of being a vengeful warrior of few phrases, the gladiator is belting out bombastic lyrics about his emotions.

“They have a look at me and all they see is a killing machine / However they do not know that far under / I am a lot greater than I appear,” Mescal sings within the spoof, slowly making his manner into the world. “They name me gladiator, they name me slave / They name me a killer / However sometime they’re going to know my identify!”

Paul Mescal in his ‘Gladiator II’ musical spoof on ‘Saturday Evening Reside’.

Saturday Evening Reside

As he begins his Colosseum killing spree — stabbing and beheading his rivals to a chipper tune — a quote from the movie’s director, Ridley Scott, flashes on the display, revealing, “I used to be not informed about this.”

Mescal wasn’t alone in his huge musical endeavor: He was joined by Kenan Thompson, nailing a Denzel Washington impression, to sing such traces as “there is no place like Rome.” Mikey Day stepped in as properly, beginning a rap battle with Mescal that parodies the musical stylings of Lin Manuel Miranda.

“I do not imply to be a hater / However I do not like this gladiator,” Day rapped. “So say goodbye to this clown / As a result of my thumb goes down.”

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It one way or the other culminated with the actors flossing, trying the viral dance transfer to various levels of success, earlier than Mescal ultimately introduced the sketch to an finish… by taking off on a brush, leaving the Colosseum within the distance so he might try the well-known riff from Depraved‘s showstopping quantity “Defying Gravity.”