Even though Starz announced earlier this month that Spartacus: War of the Damned would be the final chapter in the network’s ongoing ancient Roman epic, that doesn’t mean the show would miss out on giving its fans a glimpse at the new season during the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con.
In an effort to promote the series’ conclusion, Liam McIntyre (Spartacus), Manu Bennett (Crixus) and series creator and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight will all be on hand for a panel and interviews. Past Spartacus Comic-Con panels have been met with great fan-fare, but given the circumstances surrounding War of the Damned, and the promise of a sneak peek at what DeKnight describes as an “epic on a scale you will not believe,” it stands to reason the panel will be one of the more sought after at the Con.
Filming on War of the Damned is currently underway in New Zealand, following a rather rigorous training program intended to complete the transformation from actor to gladiator, so that means DeKnight, McIntyre and Bennett will be taking a break from production to attend SDCC and show off some of their work.
The 2011 panel had the dual privilege of giving fans a sneak peek at the long-awaited second season, and introducing McIntyre as the new lead. Besides DeKnight, McIntyre and Bennett, Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Dustin Clare (Gannicus) and Katrina Law (Mira) were all present to help usher in the next wave of sword-swinging madness. If, in comparison, this year’s panel line-up seems like something of a low-key affair, perhaps it is due to the fact that several major characters were sent to the afterlife during the final episodes of Spartacus: Vengeance.
Then again, because War of the Damned is set to be the series’ swan song, having a more intimate panel with the show’s creator, a mainstay like Bennett and, of course, the series’ lead, will probably afford fans more straightforward insight into what season 3 will bring to the table, and just how “epic” it’s going to get. Though it’s a shame that the season’s primary villains, Julius Caesar (Todd Lasance) and Marcus Crassus (Simon Merrell), won’t be on hand to share some insight into doing battle with Spartacus, having them remain more mysterious (for the time being, anyway) will only serve to heighten fans’ expectations.
And since all that has been seen regarding War of the Damned was a brief, slow motion (what else?) shot of an armored Spartacus cutting a swath through a battlefield, the highlight of the panel will undoubtedly be the footage DeKnight will be bringing.
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Fans attending Comic-Con can catch the Spartacus: War of the Damned panel on Friday, July 13 from 5:45-6:45, in room 6BCF. Everyone else can follow Screen Rant for complete 2012 Comic-Con coverage.
