It’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything about the forthcoming second season of Spartacus, which is tentatively titled, Spartacus: Vengeance. Well, now we have some news. After the saddening news of actress Lesley-Ann Brandt leaving the show to pursue other work, we were left wondering who would now replace the second departing cast member. She played Naevia, fellow slave and love interest of the gladiator Crixus.
Now we have our answer in the form of Cynthia Addai-Robinson. Cynthia is a relatively unknown actress unless you watched the now-canceled ABC TV series Flashforward. She seems suitable to play Naevia in the next season of Spartacus, but I suppose we won’t know until it premieres. I’m more worried about Liam McIntyre filling in on Spartacus, that fella has some gargantuan shoes to fill.
Please comment below about this newest casting, and stay tuned for our big Spartacus Season 2 rundown of everything we know for the upcoming season!
For more on SPARTACUS, click it here!
Images: Starz
Grizzly Bomb 
sorry to say tis, you r disappointing the loyal fan and audience everywhere in the world ..”
they’re saying why the fuck that they had to change the original characters to new replacement” for example andy whitefield n so on..
so please, whoever the fuck are the director or producer.. you’re making a big fucking mistakes..add on1.the movie will not have feeling and heart and of course disappointment in it
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Well Andy Whitfield has cancer, so he had to drop out..,
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andy whitfield passed away from cancer.
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seems you were dead wrong as the show only got better
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A few die hard fans find it difficult to fathom Naevia’s character uplifted from the servant status to a Gladiator. However the majority of the fan base around the world applaud the new character development.
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I’m extremely sad that Andy won’t be returning. You’re right he does have some gargantuan shoes to fill. Just saw the “first look” at ew.com and i can’t wait for the next season…but i’m not sure how Liam will work. I don’t get “spartacus” from him…not the way Andy gave it to us.
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I love Lesley for this character. Her beauty was striking. Like Andy she is irreplaceable. Cynthia just made her appearance on the show and she does not hold candle to the original. She has not had many speaking parts so I am hoping when and if she gets to speak she will at least be some what believable it is kind of hard because as a viewer I am still trying to get past her looks. Not bad but not Lesley.
RIP Andy you will always be remembered as the one and only Spartacus.
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Research shows that when there are changes in established shows a few die-hard fans will be a vocal minority of haters and so this is nothing new.
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Cynthia is not believable at all when she finally spoke last Friday she sounded like
she was reading a script or something and lets not talk about her beauty, if there were going to replace Lesley they should have found someone that almost looked and acted like Lesley
and don’t let me get on the New Spartacus!!! Andy Whitfield made Spartacus he played that part to the fullest he made you want to watch it and come back for more, but with the new Spartacus I have to force myself to watch it. to me if there were going to replace people then they should have at least found people with the right attitude for the parts there were taking over it’s a disappointment and a slap in the face to the loyal fans of Spartacus
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A popular character is killed off or otherwise written out and replaced with a new character who fills their previous role. Regardless of what this new character is like, they’re likely to end up with a Hatedom directed at them, just because they’re not the old favourite.
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Cynthia is black, Lesley is Asian? What? They couldn’t even make the replacement for Neavia of the same race? kinda weird considering how cognizant all the characters are of each others nationalities.
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they are both black, Lesley is an African from South Africa. same race.
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Accept that the New Naevia appeals to different demographic and has devoted fans world wide!
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Their both black smartness.
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they are both human (race)
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The new Naevia SUCKS. I mean no offense to the actress but I liked Lesley-Anne Brandt way better. I was watching the show and didn’t even realize that was Naevia. It would of been better if they got a girl who looked similar but they don’t even look alike.
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Who says a show can’t replace an actor and still be successful?It has been done and it has been done well. Some television shows have even changed lead actors several times and continued to be successful.Get over it. Lol!!
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Agreed! Leslie is definitely missed. I hope she comes back at some point.
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The mood in Vengeance is different from Blood and Sand.
.New Naevia portrays the behaviour of a rape victim and yes its not pleasant!1
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I hate the new neavia. She makes her ugly and fake. Even when they butchered Lesley’s face, she was still stunning. I’m highly disappointed by the casting directors. They made a horrible choice with her.
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Beauty is a subjective experience, it is often said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.The standards of attractiveness are different across genders and cultures.
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let’s face it, hating a character can bring out the jackass in some people.
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Oh yeah, someone has a different opinion so insult that, that’ll make you look more mature. What a whiny little bitch you are, the new Naevia does suck btw.
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I watched all the last season (2 or is it 3?) and didn’t even know it was a diff actress….. She even sounds a bit like her…. Rewatching it I can tell, but was more focused on Andy passing away.. Great acting by all………. The wiggle room history makes ; this show is the best!!!!!!!! I wonder if ppl actually know what happened in history? If someone leaves a show they leave and there’s not much any of us can do about it……. Get a LIFE ppl….. I’m rather sure we’ve all quit jobs before…. Doesn’t mean that you were better or worse than the person trying to work…… This show is still my top #1 show, and I thought I loved Cheers =D lol…
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becuz ur an idiot, thats why you didnt notice
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I am new to Spartacus. I watched Season one only on August 26th, 2012 and was floored by the production, the acting, the set, everything! I was looking forward to watching Season 2 and was surprised that the lead actor had changed. I was truly saddned to find out (last week) that Andy Whitfield passed away on Sept 11th, 2011. Shocking news! He was so young and so healthy and strong. Andy Whitfield truly was a talent that was discovered too late (as it turns out). But we had him for 1 year and that was indeed a blessing because I really believe that his portrayal of Spartacus is what made the show so great to watch! I have written an article on my blog about why Season 2 did not meet my expectations. As for Naevia – I wondered what happened to the original actor who played that character, hence landing on this page. Both ladies are talented and beautiful but I did not care much of Cynthia’s wig. They chose such great wigs for Lucy throughout the series but messed up with Cynthia’s.
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i think the new naevia is pretty..she may not be as beautiful as the original but she is none the less…they both play the part well….the wigs were better in first season because it was her regular state of beautiful hair..at the end of first her hair was chopped off it wouldnt make sense to come into 2nd season with beautiful long hair if your hair was cut the last time u were seen in the series…n what does hem being the same race has to do with anything oh…rite nothing!!! some ppl need to think before they type
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At first I thought that the directors decided to replace the old Naevia to get an actress who would be better at playing a fighter, but I see that she left on her own. Big disappointment. Some people I know didn’t even notice the difference (those who didn’t like Naevia anyway), but for me, the new actress is terrible, with those ugly expressions she makes. If you’re going to find a new actress and don’t want the old one to be missed, find one who’s prettier than the old one, or at least not uglier! I no longer give a damn about Crixus and Naevia now…
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This show has become ostensibly un-watchable; I can’t stand those bush league acting sour pusses of hers and also she gets a couple of lessons utilizing a sword and all of a sudden she’s besting fucking gladiators??? Do not insult our intelligence w/ this lib bs.
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The new Spartacus was a mediocre fill in. He played the part OK, but Andy was unreplaceable. May he Rest In Peace
The new Neavia is also OK. Nowhere near as attractive as the original. However the story continues well, & I enjoyed all 3 seasons. However I do miss the feel of the first season with Andy in the lead. That was the best!!
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Now, in March 2016 we can say that the replacement of actress was very successful. Cynthia Addai-Robinson is the actress of a quite wide range. The role of the Naevia warrior was complicated and became a breakthrough role for Cynthia. Since the actress acted a several successful parts. I look forward to her new role.”
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I just started watching Spartacus this year 2016. I really liked the actors/actresses in the first season. I was looking forward to the 2nd season and was shocked to see the original Spartacus was no longer cast. Then further sadden to hear the he died from cancer. I know that there’s a lot of controversy the new replacement to the 2nd season. I agree that the replacement for Spartacus character is rather bland and milquetoast. He doesn’t have the screen presence as Andy. Furthermore, if he is to continue in this role I would recommend that he pump more weight. His body appears rather soft on screen. Maybe have in grow a shadowy beard. He’s good-looking, no doubt. With these changes he could be more believable. I’m just not into him yet. I will continue watching the show maybe he will grow on me. Crixus even have better presence on screen then Liam. Additionally, Crixus could hold his own against Andy the former Spartacus in regard to on screen presence, acting, looks, hard body, nice buns and all!
Now, let’s talk about the new Naevia. I confess to being disappointed about the new cast. It wasn’t because I thought one Naevia was more beautiful than the other. I think they are equally beautiful in there own way. I confess, I did have to get use to this new Naevia and her new character. I liked the innocence character of the original Naeva and I found it difficult to adjust to the new kick-ass Naeva. Now lets address the ugly faces you guys can’t get pass. Well, she is suppose to be an enraged-crazed bitch and pretty sweet innocent faces just doesn’t fit the bill. Maybe she could cut back of the ferocious and feral a bit, LOL! We Crixus and Naevia were reunited, honestly I just didn’t feel it. I wanted to I really did. I was rooting for the reunion but the chemistry just wasn’t there and it was blatantly obvious. This probably had much to do with the actors getting use to each other and their acting style I’m hoping that it will become more believable. I just wasn’t that moved my the reunion sad to say and I really wanted to be.
Also guys, chill on the whole race thing with the “Naeva” characters. Going that route is dangerous and very close to being racist. We all have our preferences, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When critiquing, remember to address your preference and not the race. Both actresses have two different acting styles. It’s okay to prefer one look over the other even an acting style over another. But lets not get ugly with the race thing. I mention this because I was on several Spartacus blogs and found the mood of the conversation disturbing, tasteless and immature.
Because of the first season I feel honor bound to give the others actors a chance. With that said, I will continue watching Spartacus in hopes that the new characters will evolve and new surprises are in store for us viewers! Keep up the great work!
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I just started watching Spartacus this year 2016. I really liked the actors/actresses in the first season. I was looking forward to the 2nd season and was shocked to see the original Spartacus was no longer cast. Then further sadden to hear that he died from cancer. I know that there’s a lot of controversy with the replacements in the 2nd season. I agree that the replacement for Spartacus character is rather bland and milquetoast. He doesn’t have the screen presence as Andy. Furthermore, if he is to continue in this role I would recommend that he press more weights and build up his six pack. His body appears rather soft on screen. Maybe have him grow a shadowy beard. He’s good-looking, no doubt. With these changes he could be more believable. I’m just not into him yet. I will continue watching the show, maybe he will grow on me. Crixus even have better presence on screen then Liam. Additionally, Crixus could hold his own against Andy the former Spartacus in regard to screen presence, acting, looks, hard body, nice buns and all!
Now, let’s talk about the new Naevia. I confess to being disappointed about the new cast period. It wasn’t because I thought one Naevia was more beautiful than the other. I think they are equally beautiful in their own way. I confess, I did have to get use to this new Naevia and her new character. I liked the innocence of the original Naeva and I found it difficult to adjust to the new kick-ass Naeva. Now lets address the ugly faces you guys can’t get pass. Well, she is suppose to be an enraged-crazed bitch. Pretty, sweet, innocent faces just doesn’t fit the bill for her new part. Maybe she could cut back of the ferocious and feral a bit, LOL!
When Crixus and Naevia were reunited, honestly I just didn’t feel it. I wanted to I really did. I was looking forward to their reunion but the chemistry, just wasn’t there and it was blatantly obvious. It probably had much to do with the actors getting use to each other and their acting style. I’m hoping that their relationship will become more believable. I just wasn’t that moved my the reunion sad to say and I really wanted to be.
Also guys, chill on the race thing with the “Naeva” characters. Going that route is dangerous and very close to being racist. We all have our preferences, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When critiquing, remember to address your preference and not the race. Both actresses have two different acting styles. It’s okay to prefer one look over the other even an acting style over another. But lets not get ugly with the race thing. I mention this because I was on several Spartacus blogs and found the mood of the conversations disturbing, tasteless and immature.
Because I loved the first season, I feel honor bound to give the other actors a chance. With that said, I will continue watching Spartacus in hopes that the new characters will evolve and settle in to their roles. I hope new surprises are in store for us viewers! Keep up the great work!
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I loved their reunion, both in the mines and in the camp. Given the circumstances (‘reuniting’ with someone you’ve weren’t on screen with before) they did a tremendous job. I only wish they would have let her play slave Naevia for a longer flashback. The brief dream sequence Crixus had was great.
Manu Bennett and Cynthia Addai Robinson have immense chemistry and I’d love to see them work with each other again.
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No chemestry? Between Crixus and Naevia #2? Really? Rewatch more carefully. She is deep tragic actress. I’d like to see her as Naevia from the very beginning.
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