The Sandman is based on Neil Gaiman’s seminal comic book series of the same name. One of the very few comics to feature as New York Times bestseller, the series has over 75 issues since its inception in 1989.
A highly-anticipated Netflix adaptation helmed by Gaiman and Allan Heinberg, the show focuses on the titular Sandman, also known as Dream, is one of the seven Endless siblings. Also known as Morpheus, besides amassing billions of years of age and various other names, Dream is the personification of dreams itself and resides in “The Dreaming” realm.
He loves having control and struggles with the changing times, something which is portrayed throughout the series. He is held captive by a sinister occult ritual for 70 years, during which chaos and mayhem overtake his well-guarded realm, forcing Morpheus to swear vengeance upon those who wronged him. In captivity, he goes into a state of introspection, reflecting upon his past sins, vowing to undo them despite various setbacks.
Following season one, there has been a lot of buzz about season two. Here’s what we expect from it:
What can we expect from Netflix’s ‘The Sandman’ season 2?
Who had been cast on The Sandman?
The Sandman had an elaborate ensemble cast, namely:
- Tom Sturridge as the Sandman
- Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian
- Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess
- Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer
- Vivienne Acheampong as Lucien
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain
- Asim Chaudhry as Abel
- Nina Wadia as Fate Mother
- Steven Brand as Marsh Janowski
- Emma Duncan as Bette Monroe
- Stacey Abalogun as Nurse Edmund
- Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall
- Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps
- Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine
- Niamh Walsh as Young Ethel Cripps
- David Thewlis as John Dee
- Kyo Ra as Rose Walker
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
- Mason Alexander Park as Desire
- Donna Preston as Despair
- Patton Oswalt as the voice of Matthew the Raven
- Stephen Fry as Gilbert
- Sandra James Young as Unity Kincaid
Has The Sandman been renewed for a second season?
The Sandman premiered its eleven episodes on Netflix on August 5th, 2022. However, it was not until November 3rd, 2022, that the show was greenlit for a second season. Given the rift, it caused among comic book lovers, and the fans of the show, the fate of the show was quite unknown till early November.
In a now-deleted tweet, DC comics confirmed the return of the show for a second season that would be “based on multiple volumes of the Neil Gaiman graphic novels to explore even more stories of the Endless.”
Showrunner Allan Heinberg expressed his gratitude to Netflix and Warner Bros for renewing the show. He said, “I’m profoundly grateful to Netflix and to Warner Bros. — to the artists and crew who made our first 11 episodes so magical — and to the extraordinary fans of The Sandman, who advocated tirelessly — endlessly — on the show’s behalf and made it possible for us to continue telling Morpheus’ story.”
VFX supervisor Ian Markiewicz talked about how they have a “really wonderful framework” for the second season and how Heinberg is currently “touching up scripts and reworking things”.
The number of episodes are not yet known.
What can we expect from the second season of The Sandman?
Neil Gaiman is pretty vocal on Twitter and Tumblr about the narrative progression of the series. He told people that the eleventh episode of the series is the “bridge into season 2”.
The second season will most likely be based mainly on Season of Mists, which is undoubtedly one of the most popular storylines of the Gaiman comic. It basically begins with an iconic Endless family meeting comprising all except Destruction, namely Death, Dream, Despair and Desire.
Dream has condemned his lover Nada to Hell after Nada denies being his queen, following the tragic love story in Tales of Sand. While the Endless siblings make fun of Dream for what he did to Nada, the tormented Morpheus travels to free Nada from Hell but finds it empty upon turning up there.
Lucifer, jaded and tired, has left Hell, leaving Dream in charge. Others who are blinded by the power, are fighting to take over, thus leading to conflicts.
