Denzel Washington may have said that his same-sex kiss in “Gladiator II” was cut from the movie because the powers that be got “chicken,” but, according to director Ridley Scott, the kiss may not have happened at all.

Paul Mescal stars as Lucius in the followup to 2000’s Gladiator. He becomes a gladiator and competes in the Colosseum under the training of Macrinus (Washington). It’s important to note that Pedro Pascal also appears in the film as Marcus Acacius, who is the main antagonist throughout the film.

In this Ridley Scott rehash, a muscular Paul Mescal and conflicted Pedro Pascal fail to capture the magic of the original.