The Sandman, Netflix’s live action adaptation of the beloved graphic novel series written by Neil Gaiman, was a hit when season 1 streamed in 2022. Now, season 2 is on its way—but, like most other film and TV projects, it’s been delayed by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ refusal to make a fair deal with members of the actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA.
Nevertheless, The Sandman season 2 will arrive eventually. Here’s what we know so far!
The Sandman season 2 cast
There are several members of the season 1 cast who will be reprising their roles in season 2.
The members of the Endless, the immortal family of anthropomorphized concepts that govern the universe, are likely to return in season 2. Tom Sturridge and Kirby Howell-Baptiste have already been seen on set as their characters Dream, a.k.a. Morpheus, and Death. In season 1, we also met Mason Alexander Park as Desire, and Donna Preston as Despair. When season 2 was announced, Gaiman confirmed that Desire and Despair will return, saying, “There’s a family meal ahead, after all. And Lucifer is waiting for Morpheus to return to Hell.”
The various immortals and denizens of the Dreaming will also likely return. This includes Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer; Vivienne Acheampong as Dream’s librarian Lucienne; Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven; and Mark Hamill as Mervyn Pumpkinhead. Deborah Oyelade could return as Nada, Morpheus’s former lover who’s imprisoned in Hell.
In addition to returning cast members, season 2 will see some new faces in the world of The Sandman. Indya Moore (Pose) was spotted on set, with all signs pointing to her playing Wanda from the original Sandman comics. An actor playing Morpheus’s son Orpheus was also seen onset, and although that actor’s identity hasn’t been confirmed, several sources have reported that it’s Ruairi O’Connor (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It). Finally, Amber Rose Revah (The Punisher) is reportedly a new cast member, although her role is unknown.
There are also characters who are likely to make their debut, although they haven’t been announced yet. These include Dream’s siblings Delirium and Destiny, both of whom were alluded to in season 1.
The Sandman season 2 plot
The first season of The Sandman covered the first three graphic novels in the series: Preludes and Nocturnes and The Doll’s House. A bonus episode also included two of the stories in the collection Dream Country.
Based on that pattern, season 2 might cover volumes 4 and 5, Season of Mists and A Game of You. In fact, Indya Moore’s presence on set all but confirms that A Game of You will be included in the season. In that volume, Barbie from The Doll’s House receives an amulet called the Porpentine and uses it to explore a world called the Land. Wanda is Barbie’s roommate.
In Season of Mists, Lucifer abdicates the throne of Hell and gives the realm to Morpheus, who must then find someone else to rule over it while he grapples with his treatment of his former lover Nada. Season of Mists also includes the family meal Gaiman alluded to above, where we’ll meet Delirium and Destiny at a gathering of the siblings of the Endless.
Then there’s the matter of Orpheus. In the graphic novels, Orpheus doesn’t appear until a later story arc, so the series may be mixing that up, too, or including more self-contained stories from the original series.
The Sandman release window
The Sandman did film two weeks’ worth of footage before the SAG strike began, but production is currently on hold while the guild attempts to negotiate with AMPTP. Previously, a release window of August 2024 was rumored, but now it’s hard to estimate when season 2 will come out.
Hang in there, Sandman fans—we’ll keep posting updates as they come.
(featured image: Netflix)
