The Beatles biopic series has a disappointing update for Paul Mescal fans

Paul Mescal is having a moment. The actor already has an Oscar nomination under his belt, but his appearance in the upcoming blockbuster Gladiator II is set to be his commercial and cultural coming out moment. Hollywood has faith in Mescal, which is what made the rumors involving him and the new Beatles biopics so believable.

Sam Mendes is planning to film four Beatles films, each revolving around a different member of the band. The topic of who should play each of the members has been a controversial one, with several fans putting their own preferences and favorites online. Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider nearly broke the internet, however, when he claimed that Mescal will be playing Paul McCartney.

Mescal hasn't signed on to play McCartney

The internet rejoiced. The similarities, admittedly, were there. Paul Mescal and Paul McCartney have the same first name, similar Irish ancestry, and are similar in height (5'11" for Mescal and 5'10" for the Beatles bassist). Mescal has legitimate acting chops, of course, which made the prospect of him playing the "Cute One" pretty intriguing.

Unfortunately, Sneider's claims were unfounded. Mescal recently sat down for a profile with GQ, and confirmed that he has not been approached to play Macca in any Beatles films. "Nothing has been set in stone," he informed the outlet.

The actor voiced his interest in the Beatles series

It's disappointing for a myriad of reasons. For one, Mescal's involvement would have drawn eyes to the film, especially if Gladiator II proves to be the success that Hollywood wants it to be. Then there is the simple notion that Mescal would be quite good as McCartney. There is a silver lining to the news, however.

Mescal may have said that he's not attached to the Beatles biopic series, but he did admit that he would be interested in portraying the "Yesterday" singer if approached by Sam Mendes. "I would love to be involved," he asserted. There's hope yet, but it will likely be a while before we know who winds up cast. The Beatles films have a tentative release schedule for 2028.