The Gladiator 2 actor, who came to the fore following the release of Normal People in 2020, was announced as the host on NBC’s SNL TikTok account.
The promo video, released across the station’s social channels and YouTube, features cast members Devon Walker and Heidi Gardner doing a Gladiator sketch.
The teaser begin on a friendly note, with Mescal insisting he is not a ‘method actor’, however the Gladiator star breaks out a sword in order to engage in a duel to the death.
“And so it shall be, a fight to the death,” he declares in the video.
After Mikey Daly insists that he wants to take the lead on a sketch, Mescal agrees, but later returns shooting an arrow into Daly’s heart in full gladiatorial style.
First airing in 1975, SNL brings actors, comedians and artists together to perform short skits, with Mescal set to guest host for the first time.
Among guest hosts over the past five decades have been Justin Timberlake, Melissa McCarthy, Scarlett Johansson, The Rock, and Tom Hanks, among scores of other big names.
The 28-year-old Kildare native is off the back of his box-office performance in the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 Academy Award winning movie Gladiator.
The All of Us Strangers star also just earned his first producer credit for The History of Sound, which is an LGBTQ romance drama announced back in 2021, featuring Mescal alongside The Challengers star, Josh O’Connor.
It traces two young men during World War One, who set out to document the lives, voices and musical richness of their fellow Americans.
American rapper Shaboozey will feature as this Saturday’s musical guest.
Irish singer Hozier is set to join the show as a musical guest a fortnight later on December 21.
“It’s gonna be real fun this week guys,” Mescal adds in the promotional video for SNL, ahead of him hosting this Saturday, December 7.