Neil Gaiman readers waited many years for a The Sandman adaptation, as did Neil Gaiman, who revealed that he “spent 30 years successfully battling bad movies” of his renowned comic book series. Thank goodness he held out, other than for a well-received Audible treatment, which helped plenty of people endure the earliest days of the pandemic. Likewise, Gaiman has Endless-ly received gratitude from those who bestow credit on his creation for helping them get through rough patches in life. That includes tangling with Death, who is portrayed in the Netflix series by Kirby Howell-Baptiste in the most beautiful episode, “The Sound Of Her Wings,” in recent memory.
Well, this series was such a home run that it was worth the decades of waiting, and Netflix and Gaiman heard resounding praise for that episode loud and clear while fashioning scripts for the second season. Speaking of further waits, the time has now come for us to discuss where Dream/Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) shall go during the show’s next journeys through every dimension and some places that you never thought existed.
Plot
Since we’ve already broached the subject of Death, get ready for more of Howell-Baptiste’s character. Granted, yes, there was also more of this character in the second volume of the Audible version as portrayed by Kat Dennings (who Gaiman gloriously told to “be yourself” while acting). Dennings’ version of death, therefore, was bubbly with dark undertones in lockstep with the original comic book material. For Netflix, the Death character retained that same dual spirit while also infused with warmth by Howell-Baptiste. That well-received shift (and it was quite a gamble because readers have always adored Death’s “peachy keen”-ness) meant that the writers must have relished spending more time with the character for the second season.
From there, what else shall we expect? The show has already supplemented with a bonus episode that brings to life the famed “Calliope” story, but ultimately, it’s safe to expect the next round of episodes to swing back to a vibe of the Death episode by highlighting more family dynamics of the Endless. Here’s what Howell-Baptiste recently told Collider:
“It’s been fantastic going back actually, because this season, I think fans will be very excited for the episodes. It feels like the show is a two-way street, it’s not just us putting something out, it’s Neil listening, responding to the fans, and then in turn giving them the things that they are asking for, yelling for, begging for. So I think fans are gonna be really excited to have these stories expanded and have the complexities, and the family and, and all of those dynamics, see them even more this season, this continuation of episodes.”
A major highlight of this next season, as well, will be the introduction of Delirium with casting still under wraps. The build-up for that character would ordinarily ignite fears that expectations might not be realized, but given how the entire first season was such a success (when there are so many ways that this series could have gone wrong), it’s wise to trust Netflix on this show. It’s even better to trust in Gaiman, who is extremely involved in all aspects of production.
What else? Since there will be more family dynamics on display, hopefully, we’ll see much more of Dream being not only irresistible to the audience but also rough around the edges while exchanging barbs with his siblings. That will ideally include more context behind the Desire-Dream beef and learning what comes of Rose Walker. What is certain, however, is that the comic’s non-linear structure allows the show to similarly dive to and fro while adapting certain stories and arcs from the graphic novels. In other words, attempting to pinpoint exactly what stories we will see in the second season is a nearly impossible task.
Cast
Tom Sturridge is the perfect Dream/Morpheus. Kirby Howell-Baptiste is everything as Death. Mason Alexander Park is Desire, Patton Oswalt is Matthew the Raven, and Gwendoline Christie is Lucifer, Kyo Ra is Rose Walker, and Jenna Coleman is Johanna Constantine. That’s only the start of a vast ensemble cast, but as for the much-anticipated casting of Delirium? Still a mystery.
Release Date
The second season resumed filming in November 2023 following Hollywood’s strikes and currently continues. Surely, that phase of the production will conclude this year, but the film’s VFX team will need to have their way with the episodes. For that reason, 2025 seems to be a likely candidate for a release window.
Trailer
A trailer couldn’t possibly exist yet, but in case you haven’t seen this yet, here’s a deleted scene of Death telling Dream how she decided to test the waters at being human, so she could experience a visit from herself.
