Just as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding title by title, its rival DC Comics is also growing by bringing new fan favorite comic book lore to life. The latest DC story to hit the screen is the dark tale of the Sandman, and the fantasy plot line is coming to Netflix with a ridiculously talented cast.
Netflix has acquired the rights to DC’s Sandman and is currently developing the Neil Gaiman comic book into a supernatural action series. The original story follows the Sandman (otherwise known as Morpheus, the Dream King, and Lord of the Dreams), a personification of dreams, as he tries to restore his fallen Dream realm after being held prisoner for almost a century by a group of zealous black magic cultists. His tale is a particularly complicated and lengthy one — it was originally published as a monthly comic and ran for over 75 issues — but that denseness is exactly what makes it a good fit for Netflix. There’s a lot of source material to pull from for the show!
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Also good for the show is its cast of talented actors. Tom Sturridge (Velvet Buzzsaw) has been cast to play the titular Sandman. He’ll be joined in the project by beloved Game of Thrones actress Gwendoline Christie, who will star as Lucifer, Ruler of Hell. Also joining Sturridge are fellow GoT star Charles Dance, Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches), Boyd Holbrook (Narcos), and Asim Chaudhary (People Just Do Nothing).
There. A whole set of tweets written just before bed and set to go out when I'm fast asleep. I'm vaguely worried that I've mistimed them, but too late now. Here are the first seven members of the #Sandman cast to be announced officially. Seven down, hundreds to go. pic.twitter.com/DksGLyMkBf
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 28, 2021
While this isn’t the first DC series to be released as of late — The Flash, Black Lightning, and Supergirl all stem from the same universe — The Sandman is Netflix’s first foray into the dark comic book world after already partnering with Marvel for shows like Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil. And writer Gaiman is thrilled that his story is finally coming to the small screen.
“For the last thirty-three years, the Sandman characters have breathed and walked around and talked in my head,” Gaiman shared in an official statement. “I'm unbelievably happy that now, finally, they get to step out of my head and into reality. I can't wait until the people out there get to see what we've been seeing as Dream and the rest of them take flesh, and the flesh belongs to some of the finest actors out there.”
No word on when production for The Sandman will begin, but eager fans should expect filming for this project to take awhile, seeing as though Gaiman's world is probably one of the more expansive settings within the DC universe. But with a backstory and a cast this good, the Netflix series may very well be worth the wait.
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