The world of gladiators has returned to STARZ after 12 years, and this week’s episode of Debunking AI is dedicated to clearing the air of misconceptions about the Spartacus sequel. The upcoming premiere of Spartacus: House of Ashur is setting high expectations for blood, guts, and Roman politics — while at the same time raising questions about the importance of previous canon events.

The follow-up to one of STARZ’s best historical dramas ever presents an alternate history in which Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) wasn’t decapitated by Naevia at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance. Instead, he was a crucial part of the final battle against Spartacus himself and received control of Batiatus’ ludus after the slave rebellion was defeated.

Original series creator Steven S. DeKnight, who serves as showrunner of House of Ashur, joins Tarabay for an episode of ScreenRant’s Debunking AI. The pair discussed the importance of Lucy Lawless’ return as Lucretia, the historical accuracy of female gladiators, and whether Ashur could take Jamie Fraser from Outlander in a duel.

Spartacus: House Of Ashur’s Achillia Has A Precedent In Roman History

Many question Spartacus: House of Ashur‘s compliance with not only the canon of the original series, but also with historical events in Ancient Rome. While many questions are left to be answered by the show itself, it’s safe to assume the fictional story outside of Ashur’s life is primarily intact. More fascinating is that real Roman politics still seem to be at the center of the series, and details of that lifestyle make for new and exciting plot developments.

Achillia (played by Tenika Davis), who is a gladiatrix brought to the ludus by Ashur, marks the first female gladiator in the show’s history. Though she is not based on a real-life figure, she is an echo of historical record. AI declared that gladiatrices existed in Ancient Rome, though they were rare and often treated as a novelty, but DeKnight had a little more meat to add to those bones.

We wanted to use them in the original [Spartacus] show, but historically, they didn’t come about until about 80 years later. Actually, they became so popular, they ended up being banned because they were a threat against the patriarchy.

In the world of the show, Ashur makes Achillia a gladiator as a way to draw attention to his ludus, but their dynamic soon develops into something akin to camaraderie — though he would be remiss to call it actual friendship.

You think that there’s a [friendship], and then something happens, and it’s like, “Well, no.” Ashur is very clear on positioning. It’s not a friendly show. But there is something in common between those two. It’s not your typical, “I love you, man,” [dynamic]. It’s more like, “Good luck to you.” That’s as good as it gets. “All the best. Do not die.”

Lucy Lawless Is Not The Biggest Spartacus Return In House Of Ashur

Spartacus: House of Ashur‘s timeline gets kick-started by a visit from Lucretia (played by Lucy Lawless), who sends the recently deceased protagonist to a new timeline from the underworld. It’s a significant moment given that she and her husband Batiatus were Ashur’s most important connections in the original series. Furthermore, Lucretia went from his benefactor to his victim in Vengeance, reminding audiences of just how dangerous a character he can be.

But don’t expect this to mean there will be episodic check-ins from said underworld. While AI suggested Lucretia would be a major player in the series, DeKnight was quick to correct the record. “I don’t want to mislead the audience,” he explained. “We were so happy to get Lucy back. She is very much in demand and very busy, so we got her just to kick off the series in the first episode.”

One character of great significance to House of Ashur, however, will be Julius Caesar. He has been recast for the new series, but Tarabay teased that “he and his wife really erupt things” once they make their way to the ludus. “They change things once they show up,” he continued, explaining how the unrest among the Triumvirate (made up of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey) affects Ashur himself.

It affects Ashur tremendously. I mean, he’s constantly feeling the pressure of this. He’s under pressure, and he’s surrounded by schemes, and he’s almost helpless. I mean, there’s only so much room for him to maneuver, and he’s got to use room that extremely well. Otherwise, it’s hasta la vista, baby!

Spartacus’ Ashur Vs. Outlander’s Jamie Fraser

Not everything was strictly based on Spartacus canon, of course. One fun round of questioning was about who would win in a Gladiator battle between Ashur and Jamie Fraser, the burly and romantic hero of STARZ’s other smash hit, Outlander.

“Oh, I’ll beat the s–t out of him,” Tarabay joked. “Bring that Scotsman out here.” DeKnight gave it a little more serious thought. “Ashur is very, very dangerous. You’ll see that from the very opening of the show,” he shared. “You do not want to fight him.”

One of the first scenes of the show does, in fact, underscore how much more lethal Ashur can be in a fight than previous seasons may have depicted, but fans will have to wait until December 5 to fully understand. “You don’t want to mess with this guy,” Tarabay added. “He’s somebody who’s strong and has the wits for battle.”

Tarabay did have kind words for actor Sam Heughan, whom he met at Comic-Con. “What a lovely fella he is. It’s all good. But I’ll still take him, though. F–k that s–t. Bring it on, Jamie.”

Check out our other Debunking AI episodes here:

Release Date

December 5, 2025

Directors

Rick Jacobson