Liam McIntyre is STARZ’s New Spartacus

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Just a few days ago I mentioned that Liam McIntyre was the favorite to step into the sandals of Spartacus. Now, TV Line reveals that McIntyre has officially been given the role in the kick-butt STARZ series.

Andy Whitfield, who played the character in Spartacus: Blood and Sand had to bow out of the show to treat a recurrence of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His departure made the studio consider dropping the series but Whitfield’s ‘the show must go on’ philosophy convinced them to undertake the daunting task of finding someone who could carry on the role.

Chris Albrecht, STARZ CEO, said in a statement, “Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead Spartacus forward. It was important to us to have Andy endorse the idea of recasting this part, which he did in the same heroic manner that he’s dealt with his whole ordeal. And that, coupled with our fortune in finding a young actor with the gladiator credentials and the acting ability of Liam, makes it easier for us to keep this hit franchise going.”

Because of his slight build, McIntyre was almost ruled out as Spartacus, but over two months of boot camp-like training gave him the bulk required for the part.

The second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand starts shooting in the spring, while Starz shows us what things were like before the arrival of everyone’s favorite gladiator in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which debuts this Friday at 10PM/ET. Check out the trailer to see what you’re in for. I don’t think fans of the series will be disappointed.