Dreamers, awaken! The Sandman saga is back in production, preparing to bring new phantasmagorical episodes — conjured from Neil Gaiman’s iconic graphic novel, which debuted 35 years ago today — to the screen. And it’s finally time to find out who has been cast as Endless family members Destiny, Delirium, and The Prodigal.

“This week we officially restart production on the next sequence of stories of The Sandman for Netflix,” wrote Gaiman in a letter to fans in November 2023. “Genius showrunner Allan Heinberg and the countless people in front of and behind the camera are building something endlessly special, and bringing these stories to life in a way that would once have been unimaginable.”

When we last wandered into the dream world, the magnificently coiffed realm-lord Morpheus aka Dream (Tom Sturridge) and his cadre of companions faced down an impending onslaught of Lucifer’s (Gwendoline Christie) hell-spawned legions. Now, the Endless family finally assembles with new cast members to conjure more dreams and nightmares. 

“In the next chapter of The Sandman, the King of Dreams will come face-to-face — and go toe-to-toe — with the formidable rulers of Hell, Asgard, Faerie, and the realms beyond,” Heinberg tells Tudum. 

For Gaiman, the new character of Wanda has particular resonance. “Wanda began for me in 1988, because I had trans friends and was not seeing them reflected in the comics I was reading, so I resolved to create a trans woman in a mainstream comic, the first time that had happened,” Gaiman tells Tudum. “For over three decades, people have been telling me that she was an inspiration to them. I’m thrilled that, 35 years later, she’s on the screen in all her glory.” 

Developed and executive produced by Heinberg, David S. Goyer, and Gaiman (who created this take of the characters in his original DC Comics), the original 11 episodes of the series debuted on Netflix in 2022. 

So, who will play the Endless in Season 2 of The Sandman?

Other Endless family members joining Dream (Sturridge) in Season 2 include Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, and Barry Sloane as The Prodigal. These new names round out the Endless Family which includes Kirby as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire and Donna Preston as Despair who are returning from Season 1. Family dinners just got interesting. 

Which cast members are returning for The Sandman Season 2?

The additional returning cast includes: Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Ferdinand Kingsley, Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Vanesu Samunyai, and Razane Jammal. 

Who are the new cast members in The Sandman Season 2?

Pulled from The Sandman collections Seasons of the Mist and Brief Lives, the new characters bring more magic and nightmares to the Dreaming. “Each of these characters is as powerful as Dream — nearly as clever — and far more ruthless,” says Heinberg. “Together, they will ensnare Dream in a web of palace intrigue, glamour, demon battles, and spider-sex. None of which Dream is prepared for; all of which transform him into a far more dangerous Dream of the Endless.”

• Ruairi O’Connor (The Morning Show, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) is Orpheus, a poet, musician, oracle, and the only child of Dream and the muse, Calliope (last seen in The Sandman, Episode 11). Orpheus is an idealistic, romantic, young man — and very much his father’s son — until tragedy strikes and reveals to him the true nature of love.
• Freddie Fox (The Great, Slow Horses, The Gentlemen) is Loki, the god of chaos. Loki is a charming, seductive shape-shifter. The smartest and most dangerous person in any room, Loki is utterly irresistible and never to be trusted.
• Clive Russell (The Cursed, Sherlock Holmes, Game of Thrones) plays Odin, the father of Thor, and blood-brother of Loki. He is a longtime ally of Dream’s, but finds himself driven to desperate extremes in his efforts to stave off Ragnarök. 
• Laurence O’Fuarain (The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Gentlemen) is Thor, the storm god. With his hammer Mjollnir, Thor is brusque, rude, and driven entirely by his appetites for food and drink, battle, and sex.
• Ann Skelly (The Nevers, Death and Nightingales, Red Rock) is Nuala, and Douglas Booth (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Dirt) is Cluracan, royal emissaries from the court of Faerie. Nuala and Cluracan are siblings who are opposites in every way. Nuala is responsible, empathetic, and principled. Cluracan is an impulsive rogue who lives for pleasure. They disagree about everything, except their devotion to each other.
• Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones, Sex Education) plays Puck, a malevolent hobgoblin who serves as the royal jester to King Auberon of Faerie. Puck is fascinated by mortals and enjoys nothing more than making sport of them for his own amusement. He’s also the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
• Indya Moore (Queen & Slim, Pose, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) plays Wanda, a professional driver and security agent for an exclusive travel firm. Wanda proves herself to be an indispensable guide on an Endless road trip to the waking world.
• Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, The Trip) is the voice of Barnabas, the canine companion of the Endless’s Prodigal brother. Barnabas is loyal and loving, but an outspoken cynic. Meaning, he’s both man’s best friend and man’s sharpest critic.

Who’s in The Sandman Season 1 cast?

• Tom Sturridge (Being Julia, Waiting for Forever) as Dream, a member of a larger family known as the Endless, immortal beings who rule their own realms
• Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Star Wars) as Lucifer, the lord of Hell 
• Boyd Holbrook (Narcos, In the Shadow of the Moon) as the Corinthian, an escaped nightmare who feasts on unfortunate souls 
• Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille, BoJack Horseman) as Matthew the Raven, Dream’s wise sidekick 
• Vivienne Acheampong (Everything Now, Famalam) as Lucienne, the chief librarian and trusted guardian of Dream’s realm
• Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Crown) as Roderick Burgess, a charlatan, blackmailer, and magician who tries to entrap Death but accidentally captures Death’s brother, Dream, instead
• Jenna Coleman (The Serpent, Wilderness) as Johanna Constantine, a tough necromancer and successful occult adventuress for hire
• David Thewlis (Fargo, Big Mouth) as John Dee, a madman on a quest for
  truth that may destroy the world
• Kirby (The Good Place, Barry) as Death, Dream’s wiser and much more sensible sister in the Endless family. She ushers souls to the afterlife. 
• Mason Alexander Park (Quantum Leap, Cowboy Bebop) as Desire, Dream’s
  fellow Endless sibling who’s as mischievous as they are sultry  
• Donna Preston (Good Omens, Hard Cell) as Despair, Desire’s twin, and Dream’s sister. She’s the bleakest of the Endless.
• Vanesu Samunyai (formerly known as Kyo Ra) as Rose Walker, a young
  woman on a desperate search for her missing brother. She holds immense power that not even she realizes. 
• Stephen Fry (Gosford Park, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) as Gilbert, Rose Walker’s classy protector — a dab hand with a sword cane
• John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) as Hal a bighearted bed-and-breakfast owner who’s a veritable den mother for the ragtag residents of his Florida estate. But by night, Hal is a drag superstar — in his small-town dive bar at least.
• Asim Chaudhry (Wonder Woman, High & Dry) as Abel, the world’s first murder victim who lives alongside his twin brother Cain in the Dreaming 
• Sanjeev Bhaskar (The Kumars at No. 42, The Indian Doctor) as Cain, the first murderer, who still enacts violence on his twin brother, Abel 
• Joely Richardson (The Tudors, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as Ethel Cripps, Roderick Burgess’ love in the ’20s and ’30s and John Dee’s mother, who plays a vital role in Dream’s fate
• Niamh Walsh (Holby City, Jamestown) as young Ethel Cripps, in her early days with Burgess   
• Sandra James-Young (EastEnders, Coronation Street) as Unity Kincaid, an heiress and Rose’s mysterious benefactor. She’s spent a century asleep, but now she’s awake and has missed out on a lot of her life.
• Razane Jammal (Paranormal, Al Thaman, Kira, Carlos) as Lyta Hall, Rose’s friend, a young widow mourning her husband

Where did inspiration for The Sandman come from?

Below, read Gaiman’s reflection on the stormy day in 1987 when The Sandman first crept from his imagination to the page:

We never know where our dreams will take us. Thirty-five years ago today, the first issue of The Sandman was released and set many people and characters on paths that seemed, even at the time, so unlikely as to be impossible. Back then most comics featured superheroes. Sandman wasn’t that. It wasn’t like anything else, but magically (the magic consisting of hard work, youthful overconfidence, and some key people who believed in the vision) we were given the opportunity to tell the story I had in my head and bring Morpheus and the rest of the Endless to life.

A little over 36 years ago, in October 1987, the worst storm in at least 500 years left my house without power and my family trapped in our little village by fallen trees, and I spent my time writing an outline for the first eight issues of Sandman.

Thirteen months later, in November 1988, the first issue of Sandman hit the comics shops.

Like those who walk a path in Destiny’s garden, I look back and see one clear path stretching behind me. At times on this journey the way forward seemed impossible, and I don’t think I could have conceived of the impact that these characters would have on individuals or on the world. When I look at the path ahead, though, I don’t see darkness. I see how the world of The Sandman continues to grow and evolve and take new forms.

This week we officially restart production on the next sequence of stories of The Sandman for Netflix. Genius showrunner Allan Heinberg and the countless people in front of and behind the camera are building something endlessly special, and bringing these stories to life in a way that would once have been unimaginable.

A journey is beginning that will take us from Destiny’s garden to Hell, from the Heart of the Dreaming to Ancient Greece and revolutionary France, and from there to places even I cannot quite imagine on the screen. I will be patient. Good things are coming.

— Neil Gaiman

The Sandman Renewal Announcement

Stream the first 11 episodes of The Sandman now.