Sky’s latest swords-and-sandals drama.

It’s blood, wild warrior women and body count as the British sword-and-sandals drama Britannia starts on SoHo.

Rome’s Emperor Claudius wants to conquer Britannia and it’s up to General Aulus Plautius to make it happen.

“He’s a man on a mission,” says British actor David Morrissey, of the general he plays in SoHo’s nine-part historical fantasy Britannia.

Set in AD43, the series follows the Roman invasion of a Britain ruled by wild warrior women – Celtic rivals Kerra (True Detective’s Kelly Reilly) and Queen Antedia (Mr Selfridge’s Zoe Wanamaker) – as well as powerful druids who are able to channel the forces of the underworld.

Morrissey, well known for his scene-stealing role as The Governor in The Walking Dead, sees parallels between the characters.

“The Governor had an idea of nation building and that’s the same thing Aulus has,” he says.

“There’s a sense they are bringing their doctrine and imposing it on to a world around them, although they go about it in different ways.”

However, Aulus, with the might of the Roman empire behind him, is much more experienced in the role of a ruthless leader.

“The Governor, by necessity, was just making it up as he went along. This is someone bringing 100 years of Roman ethos with him,” Morrissey says.

Instead of trying to crush Britain’s tribes by sheer force, Aulus tries to turn those who oppose him against each other.

“This is a land in which the Romans have been defeated before under Caesar – where they’ve turned tail and gone back to Rome,” he says.

“So he’s out to prove himself in that respect. But also he’s there on a personal, spiritual journey to find out what he can about the Druid philosophy and belief system.”

Morrissey says he doesn’t see Aulus as a villain.

“He is the modern world coming to an ancient one. He brings progress – the idea of healthcare, sanitation, things like that.

“But there’s going to be a fight. People don’t like change.”