Director Ridley Scott reportedly attributed the underperformance of Gladiator 2 to lead actor Paul Mescal not being "masculine enough" for the role. This assertion was a factor in Mescal's subsequent departure from Scott's film The Dog Stars, where he was replaced by Jacob Elordi, according to Puck News' Matt Belloni, as reported by World of Reel.
At the time of Mescal's exit from The Dog Stars, reports suggested scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes' Beatles-themed movie, which featured Mescal in the role of Paul McCartney, as the primary reason.
Gladiator 2 achieved a worldwide gross of $462 million, though its production costs ranged significantly from $250 million to over $300 million. In contrast, The Dog Stars became one of the notable box office failures in Ridley Scott's career, earning only $19 million globally against an estimated $89 million budget.
In a separate statement regarding the Alien franchise, Scott indicated he is developing a sequel to Alien: Covenant with Michael Fassbender. He expressed that the Fede Alvarez-directed Alien: Romulus was merely "OK" and suggested the franchise requires improvement.