Gladiator 2 proves Pedro Pascal hasn’t learned from Game of Thrones’ most brutal death

Gladiator 2 has unveiled Pedro Pascal’s villainous Roman general – and after the first trailer, it’s clear he’s forgotten his legendary death in Game of Thrones.

Pascal shot to fame as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, the staff-spiking Red Viper of Dorne.

It remains one of the actor’s most acclaimed performances, paving the way for roles in the likes of The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and Fantastic Four.

Soon, we’ll see him alongside Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to his Oscar-winning swords-and-sandals epic. Check out the trailer below:

Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a Roman general who trained under the command of Maximus (Russell Crowe, whose hero died in the original movie). While the trailer focuses more on Mescal’s Lucius, we see him facing off against Pascal in the colosseum.

It’s a spine-tingling end to the trailer, but Game of Thrones fans will have one question: why is Pascal not wearing a helmet?

After all, if there’s one thing Oberyn Martell has been remembered for, it’s his gut-churning death. In Season 4, he fights Gregor Clegane, aka the Mountain, after volunteering as Tyrion’s tribute.

With light armor and just his spear, he manages to get the better of him… briefly. As he struts around the Mountain’s body, demanding a confession for his sister’s murder, Clegane swipes his leg and crushes his skull like a pumpkin.

“Why is Pedro not wearing a helmet? Didn’t he learn from his GOT days?” one user asked. “Pedro still not wearing a helmet in an arena,” another posted.

“Pedro’s character fighting without a helmet oh we’ve been here before haven’t we,” a third wrote.

Gladiator 2 hits cinemas on November 22. In the meantime, find out other new movies streaming this month, and check out our list of the best war movies.