Watch “Gladiator II”'s Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal debate who's the better warrior: 'Do you want us to fight?'

"Kids, ya know? I love 'em!" Pascal jokes.

Gladiator II is not even out yet, but its stars, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, are ready to go to battle... over who is the better warrior.

"I would say Lucius is the better fighter," Mescal says of his character at the photo shoot for Entertainment Weekly's Gladiator II cover story.

"Lucius is the better fighter? Do you want us to fight?" Pascal asks with mock incredulity. "Lucius is the better fighter than the general of Rome, who survived decades and conquered all? I mean, it's just— I fight four men before I get to you, and I call it off!"

He adds, "You don't think I would do some sort of mature, aged, learned move that would just f---ing end it?" Turning to EW, Pascal says sarcastically, "Kids, ya know? I love 'em!"

"Ok, let me actually go back on my answer," Mescal concedes with a laugh. "I think Acacius might beat Lucius. I think it's up for debate; let's just say that."

Related: Now entering the arena: Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal unsheathe Gladiator II

The hotly anticipated follow-up to Ridley Scott's 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe, Gladiator II follows Mescal's Lucius after he's captured from his home in Numidia (where his mother had sent him for protection) by Acacius and taken to Rome, where he seeks revenge.

To start the film, Acacius is "the Roman general," Pascal says, while Mescal is a lieutenant in the Numidian army, and there's no love lost between the two. "He represents everything that I hate about the Roman Empire," Mescal says of Pascal's character. Pascal explains that the Roman Empire was in the process of expanding by conquering territories like Numidia. "They're consuming what they can and for what? Just to gain more and more power. And we realize that there really is kind of no ceiling to the lust of that power," he says.

"And that's to do with the emperors, played by Joe [Quinn] and Fred [Hechinger], who are wonderful, but it unravels through the film that I've kind of miscalculated who I think Acacius is," Mescal teases.

Right on cue, Pascal jokes dramatically, "He's so misunderstood. His character misunderstands my character just like Paul misunderstands me."

Joking aside, the two have nothing but kind words for each other on the cover shoot set. "I am really excited for everyone to see Paul. I'm sorry, but it has to be said, you are sensational in the movie," he says to his costar before joking, "and pretty easy on the eyes."

Pascal adds, "He worked so hard, and I got to see that happen in front of me and on the day and lead, with Ridley, this enormous crew and this enormous cast. I think people are going to love it."

Related: Connie Nielsen breaks down her emotional return to the Colosseum in 'insane' Gladiator II

"That's very kind," Mescal replies. "I think for a lot of us, from the actors, we haven't worked on a film on that scale. And I think there was a little bit of trauma bonding that went on kind of feeling like total imposter syndrome within it all. But to see your friends operate at that level on a film of that scale, doing incredible work, I think, across the board... It's rooted, it has the scale, but I think it also has the pathos and the performances. And I personally think it's one of Ridley's greatest pieces of work, which is no mean feat."

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Watch the full video with Pascal and Mescal above. Gladiator II, which also stars Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen, hits theaters Nov. 22.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.