Paul Mescal Can’t Shake His Gladiator II Killer Tendencies in Intense Saturday Night Live Promo

Paul Mescal can’t seem to shake his Gladiator II killer instincts.

In the first promo for his upcoming hosting debut on Saturday Night Live, the Irish actor, 28, is giddy for showtime — but not everyone on the cast is going to make it there alive if he has his way.

After Heidi Gardner and Devon Walker find him in the studio early for the first table read, Mescal admitted, “I like to get a feel for the space,” which led Gardner, 41, to assume he was “one of those method guys.”

Mescal shut down that idea quickly, telling her that’s “not my style,” but when Walker, 33, thought his castmate accidentally had his script and Gardner disagreed, Mescal fell right back into his latest role as Lucius Verus, the son of Russell Crowe’s Gladiator hero Maximus.

“And so it shall be. A fight to the death,” he declared, his Irish accent gone and the accent of his Gladiator II character in its place.

Mescal then pulled out two swords and declared, “For glory! And for truth!”

His attempt to settle the squabble was ruined, though, when a confused Walker said Gardner “could just have the script.”

He wasn’t out of the woods yet, though, as Mikey Day approached next and delivered the news that Mescal wouldn’t be able to play Don Jr. on this Saturday’s episode like he’d wanted. “I hate to be that guy, but, that’s kind of my thing,” Day said.

The actor took the news well and walked off with a smile, prompting Day to comment on what a “nice guy” Mescal is — just seconds before he was shot with an arrow to the chest and the Gladiator II theme began to play.

“A man must fight for what is rightfully his,” Mescal declared as he held a bow in his hands, his accent from the Ridley Scott sequel back in full force. “I will have vengeance – or I will have death.”

As the hilarious promo clip ended, Mescal snapped out of his Gladiator II haze and was giddy as he told Gardner and Walker, “It’s gonna be real fun this week, guys. I’ll see you at the read-through!”

Shaboozey will be the musical guest for the Dec. 7 episode of SNL, and the show announced the lineup for the remaining two shows of the year earlier this week.

Ironically, Mescal’s girlfriend Gracie Abrams will also make her debut on the show as musical guest the week after he hosts, alongside host Chris Rock, and the Dec. 21 show will close out 2024 with Martin Short as host and Hozier as musical guest.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.