It’s been twelve years since the rebellion led by Spartacus (Andy Whitfield/Liam McIntyre) came to a crushing end in Spartacus: War of the Damned. Now, we are finally returning to the gladiator world with an unexpected figure in the lead. Spartacus: House of Ashur is finally nearing its premiere, and in order to tease the upcoming epic series, EW unveiled a slate of first-look images that showcase the new warrior, the very first female gladiator, and the return of Ashur (Nick Tarabay) as lead. The series is set to premiere on Starz this fall.

The images reveal Ashur like we’ve never seen him. While on Spartacus, he was a sly figure who relied on tricks and manipulation to get his way; now he is the commander of the Ludus and has a slate of gladiators training under him. The story is set in an alternate reality in which Ashur wasn’t brutally killed, but instead inherited the Ludus from Batiatus (John Hannah) as a reward for helping the Romans kill Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion.

This means that Spartacus: House of Ashur will initially be a return-to-form for the series, with gladiators training and fighting to the death with the promise of one day earning their freedom — or at least a better life. When you consider that giving power to a vile figure might bring terrible consequences, you start to get an idea of the potential that the new series has in terms of conflicts and tragedy.

Who Is Returning For ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’?

Aside from Tarabay returning as lead, Spartacus: House of Ashur will also feature the return of Steven S. DeKnight as showrunner and executive producer. Aside from the title character, no one else is returning from the dead. The new cast features Graham McTavish (Outlander), Jordi Webber (Home and Away), Dan Hamill (Love Child), Jamaica Vaughn (800 Words), Ivana Baquero (A Widow’s Game), Evander Brown (​​Shortland Street), India Shaw-Smith (Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater), Claudia Black (Ahsoka), Andrew McFarlane (The Newsreader), and Tenika Davis (Beacon 23) as the first female gladiator in the franchise.

During his interview with EW, DeKnight revealed that he was as affected as everyone else by the premature death of Andy Whitfield back in 2011. His period of mourning is what kept the franchise dormant for so many years, despite Starz reaching out to the showrunner “year after year” for ideas on how to bring the show back through another perspective. Now, however, DeKnight commented that he felt “a renewed vigor” after a decade and was ready to give Spartacus another chance.

Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres on Starz this fall.

via Collider