Megan Thee Stallion Joins NFL Stars Travis Kelce and Josh Allen in New Pepsi Ad

Megan Thee Stallion feels like she’s truly arrived.

The 29-year-old rapper stars in Pepsi’s latest campaign, ‘Make Your Gameday Epic,’ ahead of the 2024-2025 NFL season. In the ad, Megan takes on the role of Empress Megan, leading NFL stars Travis Kelce, Josh Allen, Derrick Henry, and Justin Jefferson in a gladiator-style showdown inspired by the upcoming ‘Gladiator II’ film. The commercial is set to a fresh remix of Queen’s iconic ‘We Will Rock You,’ featuring new lyrics by Megan herself.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Megan reflected on the milestone, saying that working with Pepsi made her realize just how far she's come. “People always ask me when I felt like I made it, and even though I’ve done some amazing things, this was the moment where I thought, ‘Wow, I might actually be famous,’” she said with a laugh.

Image Courtesy: People

"Being in a Pepsi commercial is such a big deal," she added. "It's like a rite of passage for icons like Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Pink — and now me."

The three-minute ad begins with actors Lamorne Morris and Jake Lacy discussing their NFL fantasy teams at a bar. After ordering Pepsi, they’re transported to a Roman coliseum where Kelce, Allen, Henry, and Jefferson prepare for battle. Megan appears, commanding the arena gates to open, releasing tigers that the players must defeat. At the end, she joins the players, declaring, "Let game day begin!" before they’re all transported onto an NFL field.

Directed by Jake Scott, son of ‘Gladiator’ director Ridley Scott, the campaign ties in with the upcoming ‘Gladiator II’ film. Jake explained that the goal was to merge the excitement of the NFL with the epic feel of the movie, creating a "visual spectacle."

Image Courtesy: People

Recording her version of ‘We Will Rock You’ was another highlight for Megan. She shared, “I wanted to give it a ‘Hot Girl’ twist. Pepsi gave me so much creative freedom, and I’m thrilled that my version made it into the commercial.”

Megan’s version of ‘We Will Rock You’ is now available for streaming, while ‘Gladiator II’ hits theaters on 22nd November.

–Farheen Ali