The first images of Liam McIntyre as the new Spartacus are online showing the actor taking the familiar thraisan pose. McIntyre is stepping in for series star Andy Whitfield who was unable to continue the role having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma shortly after the first season of ‘Blood and Sand’ aired. The prequel series ‘Spartacus: Gods of the Arena’ was developed in part to allow Whitfield to recover but when his illness returned, it was clear that the second season would have to be put on hold and a new approach taken.
It turned out that Starz decided to recast with Whitfield’s blessing, and the new season Spartacus: Vengeance will debut in early 2012, two years after the initial series aired. But with a show as audacious and well received, recasting a main role with a new actor is a risky move and while it may work for soapies, fans may have a hard time adjusting. The prequel series showed that a story could still be strung along without the main character and it’s a shame that another creative direction was not chosen – such as Whitfield narrating another chapter for example. However the show might continue successfully and there’s plenty of other charcaters for fans to be interested in while making the transition and if Liam McIntyre was able to win over producers, he may just be able to do the same with audiences. Many big budget films have switched actors for sequels with little detriment to the series, so it may not be as devastating to the success of the show as some may fear.
Series creator Steven S. DeKnight has acknowledged for fans it will be a difficult transition by saying “I absolutely expect resistance. It’s absolutely impossible to replicate your lead actor and not expect some reluctance [from the audience].” DeKnight added that Andy Whitfield wants to see the show continue and said the actor “got in touch with us and said, ‘I love this story, I love the character, and I want to see it played all the way through, and you have my full support to do that.”
Check out the new Starz teaser here:
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