It’s rare. You don't often see a movie where the actors are basically playing three different versions of themselves in the same two-and-a-half-hour span. But that’s exactly what happened with The Last Duel cast. When Ridley Scott decided to adapt Eric Jager’s non-fiction book about the last judicial duel in France, he didn't just hire stars. He hired people who could handle the "Rashomon" style of storytelling, where the same scene is played back-to-back with tiny, gut-wrenching differences in body language and tone.
Honestly, the movie kind of tanked at the box office. People blamed the marketing, the long runtime, or maybe just the fact that audiences weren't in the mood for a heavy story about sexual assault in the Middle Ages. But looking back, the performances are what keep this thing alive on streaming platforms. You've got Matt Damon looking intentionally uncharismatic, Adam Driver being peak Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer basically carrying the emotional weight of the entire 14th century on her shoulders.
Ben Affleck? He’s in a different movie entirely, and strangely, it works.
Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges: The Real Lead
Most people walked into the theater thinking this was a "Damon vs. Driver" flick. It isn't. Not really. While the men get the flashy sword fights, The Last Duel cast is anchored entirely by Jodie Comer. If she doesn't sell the third act—the "Truth" according to Marguerite—the whole structural gimmick of the movie falls apart.
She has to play Marguerite three ways. In Jean de Carrouges’ eyes, she’s the dutiful, slightly shallow wife who needs saving. In Jacques Le Gris’ eyes, she’s a "seductress" who is secretly into his advances. Then, in the final segment, we see her as she actually is: a calculated, intelligent woman trapped in a legal and social nightmare. Comer’s ability to change her performance based on whose perspective we’re watching is a masterclass. You notice it in the eyes. In the first two chapters, she’s a reflection of male ego. In the third, she’s a human being.
It’s worth noting that Comer was coming off the massive success of Killing Eve when she took this on. She mentioned in several interviews, including a deep dive with The Hollywood Reporter, that the challenge was making sure Marguerite didn’t feel like a victim in the third act, but rather the only person with a clear head in a room full of narcissistic men.
Matt Damon and the Mullet of Doom
Matt Damon plays Jean de Carrouges. Let's be real—the hair choice was a bold move. He’s got this scarred face and a jagged mullet that screams "I haven't showered since the Crusades."
Damon plays Carrouges as a man who is technically "right" but also completely insufferable. He’s obsessed with his "honor" and his land. He’s the guy who thinks he’s the hero of the story because he follows the rules, even though he treats his wife like a piece of property he’s trying to reclaim in court. It’s a very un-Matt Damon role. There’s no Jason Bourne charm here. He’s stiff, angry, and socially awkward.
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What’s fascinating about his place in The Last Duel cast is his off-screen role. Damon co-wrote the script with Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener. Damon and Affleck wrote the male perspectives, while Holofcener was brought in specifically to write Marguerite’s perspective. This was a smart move. It prevented the movie from becoming a "male savior" narrative. They knew they couldn't write the female experience of that era accurately on their own, and that self-awareness is why the movie actually has teeth.
Adam Driver as the Villain (Who Thinks He’s the Lead)
Adam Driver is Jacques Le Gris. He’s the "cool" knight. He speaks Latin, he’s good with money, and he’s the favorite of the local Count.
Driver plays the role with a terrifying level of entitlement. In his version of the story, he thinks he’s in a romance. He genuinely believes Marguerite wants him. It’s a chilling look at how predators justify their actions to themselves. Driver doesn't play him as a mustache-twirling villain, which actually makes it much worse. He plays him as a man who truly believes his own lies.
The physical contrast between Driver and Damon is a huge part of why the duel at the end feels so visceral. Driver is tall, lithe, and elegant. Damon is a block of wood. It’s a clash of styles that Ridley Scott captures with his typical obsession with grime and steel.
Why Ben Affleck is the MVP of the Supporting Players
We have to talk about Count Pierre d'Alençon. Ben Affleck with bleached hair and a goatee is something I didn't know I needed, but here we are.
Affleck plays Pierre as a bored, hedonistic royal who hates Jean de Carrouges just because Jean is "no fun." He’s the guy who enables Le Gris’ worst impulses. While the rest of The Last Duel cast is playing a gritty historical drama, Affleck is leaning into the absurdity of the era’s power structures. He’s funny, he’s mean, and he’s clearly having the time of his life.
The Rest of the Ensemble
While the "Big Four" get the posters, the supporting cast fills out the world of medieval France with a lot of grit.
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- Harriet Walter as Nicole de Buchard: She plays Jean’s mother. Her scene with Marguerite toward the end of the film is one of the most depressing moments in the movie. She basically tells her daughter-in-law to shut up and deal with it because "that’s what women do." It’s a brutal look at how trauma was generational.
- Alex Lawther as King Charles VI: If you’ve seen The End of the F*ing World, you know Lawther is great at playing "weird." Here, he’s a young, slightly unhinged King who treats the final duel like a sporting event. He represents the total lack of empathy from the ruling class.
- Marton Csokas as Crespin: A veteran character actor who adds that necessary layer of "gruff knight" energy to the court scenes.
The Physicality of the Performances
Ridley Scott is a director who loves "stuff." He loves mud. He loves armor. He loves blood. The Last Duel cast had to deal with incredibly heavy costumes and genuine tactical movements.
The final fight isn't some choreographed dance like a Marvel movie. It’s a car crash. They used real weapons (blunted, obviously) and the actors did a significant portion of the stunts themselves. You can see the exhaustion on Damon’s face. That’s not just acting; that’s the result of wearing 60 pounds of steel in the mud.
The sound design helps, too. Every time a mace hits a shield, it sounds like a bone breaking. The cast had to match that intensity. If they had played it too "theatrical," the violence would have felt fake. Instead, it feels desperate.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Film
There’s a common misconception that The Last Duel is just another "he-said, she-said" movie. It’s not.
The movie explicitly tells you who is right. When the third chapter starts, the title card says "The Truth," and the words "The Truth" stay on the screen longer than the rest of the text. It’s a definitive statement. The cast had to navigate this carefully. Driver and Damon had to play their characters with enough delusion that you could almost see their point of view, but with enough "wrongness" that the audience remains grounded in Marguerite’s reality.
The Legacy of the Performances
Why does The Last Duel cast still matter years after the movie’s release?
Because it’s a template for how to handle sensitive subject matter in a historical setting. It doesn't modernize the characters’ values—everyone is still a product of the 1300s—but it uses a modern lens to examine the power dynamics.
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The movie also proved that Jodie Comer is a powerhouse. She went from being a TV star to a "first name on the call sheet" movie star because of this role. Even if the box office numbers were soft, the industry took notice. You can see her influence in the roles she’s taken since, like The Bikeriders.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you’re going to rewatch it, or watch it for the first time, don't just focus on the action. Watch the "Kissing the Hand" scene in all three chapters.
- In Jean’s version: It’s a formal, romantic moment.
- In Jacques’ version: It’s a moment of intense sexual tension and "mutual" longing.
- In Marguerite’s version: It’s awkward, invasive, and she’s clearly uncomfortable.
It’s the same set, the same actors, and the same lines. But the way The Last Duel cast shifts their posture and eye contact changes the entire meaning of the scene. That’s the "human quality" that AI or a less-talented group of actors just couldn't replicate.
Practical Takeaways for Film Fans
If you're diving into the world of Ridley Scott or the careers of these specific actors, here are a few ways to get more out of the experience:
- Read the Source Material: Eric Jager’s book is a fast read and shows just how much of the "weird" stuff in the movie (like the legal arguments about "conception") was actually true to the time.
- Watch the "Making Of" Features: The production design is insane. They built large portions of these castles and sets to ensure the cast had a tactile environment to work in.
- Compare the Perspectives: If you have the time, watch the first ten minutes of each "chapter" back-to-back. It reveals the subtle genius of the acting choices made by Driver and Damon.
- Acknowledge the Context: Understand that this was one of the first major productions to return after the 2020 lockdowns. The sense of isolation and tension on set likely contributed to the claustrophobic feel of the film.
The film serves as a reminder that "prestige" cinema often finds its audience long after the theatrical run ends. The cast's commitment to a difficult, often unlikable story is why it remains a topic of discussion among cinephiles today.
Check out the film on streaming platforms like Hulu or Disney+ (depending on your region) to see the nuances of these performances in 4K, which is honestly the only way to see the detail in the armor and the sheer amount of dirt Ridley Scott threw at his actors.