The Last Duel's Stars Reveal What They Changed From The Historical Fight

The upcoming Ridley Scott medieval epic starring Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, and Jodie Comer is based on a 2004 book by Eric Jager, which is also based on true events. "The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France" details the last judicial duel ever fought, which pits Jean de Carrouges (Damon) against friend Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver). "The Last Duel" film sticks to the source material it was derived from, as Scott made sure to honor the events of the book. This was also important to Damon and Affleck, who co-wrote the screenplay while also serving as producers.

Unfortunately, there were instances during the filming of "The Last Duel" where it was evident that some minor changes needed to be made regarding one scene. The change was made not just for the sake of doing something different but because it was necessary for the audience. This modification came in the actual duel scene between Le Gris and de Carrouges, and the final battle between the men would have looked a lot different if it hadn't been made.

At a recent press event for "The Last Duel," for which Looper was present, Matt Damon noted why they had to change some of the details from the book to suit the film better. According to the actor, Eric Jager "meticulously explained" the real-life duel in his book, and it was apparently "decidedly uncinematic." Damon described the men's uniforms in the book as giant tin cans, which only had two eye slits for them to see out. "It would have been a really awkward affair, and it wouldn't have looked very good," he added.

Damon also noted that Ridley Scott "kept the bones of the duel." The epic fight scene in the film will follow the same process as in the book, with the actor also revealing that Jacques Le Gris and Jean de Carrouges do three joust passes before rounding out their duel with axes, swords, and daggers. "It's a Ridley Scott duel," Damon added. "So we have visors where half our face is showing." Ben Affleck jumped in, praising his director, saying, "We kind of knew he would make it great."

It sounds like the right choices were made regarding the wardrobe of the characters, although it could have been fun to see two soup cans going at it. To see this epic scene play out, catch "The Last Duel" when it lands in theaters on October 15.