The Cast of Spartacus: Vengeance

Since the first time I watched this series, I completely fell in love with it. Not only are their enormous, muscular guys running around in underwear, there is tons of violence, sex and drama that will grip you. The first season of Spartacus caught my attention as well as the prequel season, Gods of the Arena. There is no shortage of action in this series or shortage of sexy scenes that make us all want to spice up our sex lives.

Sadly, the perfectly casted Spartacus, Andy Witfield, passed away before being able to shoot another season. He played the role with utter perfection. It's a very sad thing when a person so talented leaves this world. But alas, the show must go on. They found a replacement and let me tell you, this guy has some big shoes to fill. However, from watching every preview I could find for the new season, it's clear that Liam McIntrye is up to the task. He must come in and take on the famous role of the man who freed slaves from their shackles in ancient Rome. This character is highly important for the series as a whole because Spartacus is the main character. From looking at the new casting, this guy seems to be perfect but we will still always miss the original Spartacus.

Dustin Clare returns this season as the gladiator Gannicus who had been the one undefeated gladiator that finally earned his freedom after the prequel season. This guy is the entire package. He's good looking, fierce and plays a perfect gladiator. This character's cocky attitude may be one of the reasons that he so lovable. Plus, he's an extraordinary fighter and he's not ashamed to let everybody know it. He has some complex relationship derived from the prequel season with other characters. I'm also wondering if there will be a score to settle after he slept with his best friend's wife by orders from his master. She died before that information was revealed so I'm interested to see if it gets brought up again in season 2.

Manu Bennett also returns as Crixus, another gladiator from their lutus. After the original season, he lost Neveah, a woman he fell in love with. After it was learned that they had been together, she was sold and he was severely punished. He had vowed to earn his freedom and find her but now he must do so with an entire Roman army at his back. This character and Spartacus have an interesting relationship. Though they joined forces in the last episode of the first season, it's clear there still might be a bit of a grudge lingering.

Onomeaus is also back, played by Peter Mensah. He was the Doctore before their escape and now he is caught up in the slave revolt. Spartacus was never his favorite person and he would've been given power with the Romans if he had stayed. I'm interested to see if he harbors any grudges or what will become of his character this season. This guy has a good moral compass and seems to always try to do the right thing. I also have to add that this is perfect casting. I couldn't think of anyone better to play this character.

The role of Agron, a slave procured during the first season, along with his brother is back and played by Daniel Feurriegel. During the revolt, he lost his brother who had constantly been trying to protect. This wound cuts deep and causes him to shout out in anger at the end of the original season. He's a fierce type of guy who was more than happy to join Spartacus in his quest against the Romans and their ways of slavery. He's big, he's German and he's ready to fight.

As we saw at the end of the first season, Ashur, played by Nick Tarabay had managed to escape a sword fight with Doctore and was very lucky for it. Of course, he used his tactics of deceit in order to escape. Now that his master is dead, this character must find another Roman who is in need of his special abilities that are always used for evil and never for good. This character is a clear antagonist who has motives of his own. There is something so interesting about this character because he is a slave but still holds allegiance to the Romans.

Mira, a slave girl who escaped during the revolt alongside Spartacus returns and is played by the lovely Katrina Law. There are a lot of layers to his character. She clearly has feelings for Spartacus though he only sees her as a friend rather than a lover, her feelings still linger. This season I think she is going to emerge as a strong character who wants to help her fellow escaped slaves during the revolt. I saw a lot of clips with her and a bow and arrow which will be very interesting.

My favorite character also returns this season. Lucretia, played by the incredibly talented Lucy Lawless, comes back this season and at first, isn't really herself. After the revolt at her home which resulted in the death of many prominent Roman citizens as well as her husband, she is found in this season living in the ruble of what used to be her house. It's clear that this character is set on Vengeance for sure. She not only lost her husband, a man she would've done anything for, but she lost her child that was probably fathered by the gladiator Crixus, who she often would meet for a little 'play time'. She most likely also has a bone to pick with Ilithya. It seems that over the course of this season, she will come back to her old self and seek revenge against those who would've harmed her. I LOVE this character as well as Lucy Lawless. She's my all time favorite woman villain and she plays this role to perfection.

Ilithya will also be a big part of this upcoming season, played by Viva Blanca. She's the wife of Glaber, an important Roman citizen who is far less than a good guy. She takes on the role of his wife perfectly, indulging herself in his wicked ways. This character also has a lot of layers. Much can be said of her relationship with Lucretia that seems to be a love-hate sort of thing. I'm interested to see how their relationship plays out this season, along with the other events from the original season that had Ilithya's hands all over it. She's vicious and cunning and makes for an excellent character.

The show wouldn't be the same without a great antagonist. Craig Parker returns to play the role of Cladius Glaber. He has his eyes set on a higher position within the politics of Roman society but his quest is halted during the slave revolt as well as his wife's murder of another prominent woman. This guy will have a lot on his plate this season. He's ruthless, brutal and will do whatever he can to further his position and power. He has a strong hatred for Spartacus and has wanted to see his death since the beginning of the first season.

I'm sure this season will be nothing short of epic. I can hardly wait to watch how everything plays out. The new season of Spartacus will air on January 27, 2012 on STARZ.