Summary

• Spartacus: House of Ashur introduces new characters exploring Roman society through gladiatorial combat and political intrigue.
• Original series star Nick Tarabay returns as Dominus of a Ludus with a cast of fresh faces including Graham McTavish and Claudia Black.
• The spinoff presents a unique "What If" premise with potential appearances from familiar faces in the iconic show's universe.

The main cast for Spartacus: House of Ashur has been announced, with eight new faces set to original series star Nick Tarabay. Following a “What If” premise that offers a glimpse of what might have happened had Tarabay’s Ashur not been killed on Mount Vesuvius during Spartacus: Vengeance, this new spinoff will instead see him as the master of his own gladiatorial Ludus. Starz originally greenlit the 10-episode Spartacus spinoff series in November 2023, with the original series creator and showrunner, Steven DeKnight, also set to return.

Per Deadline, Starz has revealed Spartacus: House of Ashur's main cast lineup, consisting of eight new characters who never appeared in the original series. While Tarabay will reprise his role of the scheming Ashur, now Dominus of the Ludus once owned by his former master Batiatus, he will also be ed by the likes of Graham McTavish (The Witcher), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), Claudia Black (The Nevers), India Shaw-Smith (The Pines Still Whisper) and Leigh Gill (Joker).

The New Spartacus: House of Ashur Characters Explained

The New Spinoff Will Continue The OG Show's Exploration Of Roman Society

With the original Spartacus series exploring every possible level of Roman society, from the lowliest slave to revered of the Roman senate, this new spinoff seems set to follow suit with a wide assortment of new characters. McTavish, well known for his gruff and domineering roles, will assume the role of Ashur’s new Doctore, Korris. A former gladiator himself, his prowess in the arena earned him his freedom, and he now fulfills the role once held by Peter Mensah’s Oenomaus in training Ashur’s stable of fighters.

Other new gladiators set to the show include Weber’s Tarchon, and Gill’s Satyrus, who is the leader of the Brothers Ferox, gladiators from a rival Ludus. The series will also introduce a female gladiator, Achillia, played by Davis. Meanwhile, Ashur’s household is also rounded out by the house slaves Hilara (Vaughan) and Messia (Baquero), who are engaged in a love-triangle with their master. Finally, Black is set to play the Roman politician intent on plotting Ashur’s downfall, Cossutia, while Shaw-Smith will play his daughter, Viridia.

At this stage, it is not clear whether any other actors from the original show will return for Spartacus: The House of Ashur. However, given the spinoff’s premise, it is highly unlikely that Spartacus or any of his fellow slave conspirators would have survived execution following their capture. At the same time, it is entirely possible that Ashur may not have been the only character spared from death in the new spinoff, and there is still the potential for appearances from more familiar faces, such as Craig Parker’s Gaius Claudius Glaber.

Source: Deadline