The first look at Season 2 of The Sandman teases some of the new players in the show’s long-awaited return, including some incredibly powerful Norse Gods. Based on the acclaimed comic book series by controversial writer Neil Gaiman, The Sandman follows Dream of the Endless (Tom Sturridge) as he tries to rebalance The Dreaming and the world after a century-long imprisonment. Standing beside him, and occasionally opposing him, are the other members of the endless; Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston), and three more mysterious siblings. While the endless are the most powerful beings in the universe, they will come face to face with some powerful deities in the upcoming season.
Season 2 of The Sandman will adapt the “Season of Mists” story arc, which sees Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) abandon hell, handing the keys to Dream. Desperate for power, countless gods and entities lobby for control of Hell. Among the potential gatekeepers are the Norse Gods Thor (played by Laurence O’Fuarain), Loki (played by Freddie Fox), and Odin (played by Clive Russell). The three gods will be introduced in the second season, and go on to become important players in the later seasons (providing Netflix doesn’t cancel the show early). You can check out some images from behind-the-scenes of The Sandman Season 2 below.
Additionally, the featurette also introduces Dream’s three other alliterative siblings. Adrian Lester will play Destiny, Esme Creed-Miles will portray Delirium, and Barry Sloane is playing the mysterious Prodigal, who was revealed to be missing in Season 1. The featurette teases an incredibly tense dinner party between the Endless, which would mark the first time they’ve all gathered together in over a century.
The Gaiman-Verse Is Halting Production
Neil Gaiman neither appears nor is he mentioned in the featurette. Following several accusations of sexual assault, it appears as though Netflix are attempting to distance The Sandman from its author in order to keep the series alive. Fans of Gaiman’s novels have been hit with bad news over the last month as several adaptations of the author’s work have been postponed or canceled altogether.
Season 3 of Prime Video’s Good Omens has been paused indefinitely as fans and industry insiders await the verdict of the allegations. Season 1 adapted the entirety of Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s beloved novel, and Gaiman unexpectedly returned to pen an original script for the second season. Gaiman was in the middle of writing when the series was shelved. As Good Omens is such a personal project for the author, given its connection to the late-great Terry Pratchett, it was thought that Prime Video would not be allowed to continue the show without Gaiman. However, the author did recently offer to leave the show so that production can begin again.
Most recently, the first feature film adaptation of Gaiman’s children’s story, The Graveyard Book, has also been suspended. Disney were producing the movie, with Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) attached to direct. Neil Gaiman reportedly had no involvement in the adaptation, but given the project’s close ties to the author, Disney are playing it safe in halting the new movie.
The Sandman
Season 2 releases on Netflix in 2025.