James Marsters of Caprica, at Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane

You could say he's a master of the sci-fi and fantasy realm.

James Marsters is best known as the peroxide-blond Spike, who helped make vampires sexy and gained a cult following in the process in hip fantasy series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel.

Not bad for a role that wasn't supposed to last.

"No, it was designed to die after five episodes," Marsters recalls.

"I remember (creator) Joss (Whedon) reminding me of that: 'Don't get any ideas.' But I think it went a little better than they thought it would."

So well, in fact, that Marsters has made quite a name for himself in sci-fi and fantasy, and is one of the headliners at this year's Supanova fan convention in Brisbane.

Since Buffy and Angel, Marsters has landed roles in two "reimaginings": Smallville, a modern take on Superman; and Caprica, a spin-off of the updated Battlestar Galactica.

But he was never a fan of either original.

"I was more of a Batman guy – Batman was darker," he says.

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