Denzel Washington responds to criticisms over Gladiator 2 accent

Denzel Washington has a unique voice. It's one of the many reasons why he has become such a well-known actor, but Gladiator 2 trailer viewers were less than excited to hear it alongside Paul Mescal's British accent and Pedro Pascal's Oberyn-esque flair.

Speaking with Empire (via DigitalSpy), Washington opened up about his accent, and how he didn't want to do an imitation. "Well, the thing was, where are we?" he said. "Whose accent would it be? What does that sound like anyway? You're going to end up imitating someone and end up with a bad African accent."

Washington will undoubtedly be a star in this movie, whether fans of the original care for his voice or not. It's not exactly like Paul Mescal sounds like your average Roman boy, what with his usual Irish tones swapped out for an English voice.