We should’ve known when the first cast announcement went out that Netflix’s Sandman wasn’t playing around. But the latest casting announcement adds 12 new faces to the ensemble—including several of the Endless, John Dee, and one Johanna Constantine.
The entire lineup is fire.
Meet the cast of @netflix’s The Sandman ⏳ From the mind of @neilhimself. pic.twitter.com/Tow8ouf6UD
— DC (@DCOfficial) May 26, 2021
PHEW. A quick rundown:
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) is Death, sister to Dream/Morpheus (Tom Sturridge). Howell-Baptiste is absolutely going to be a vision when we first get to see her in Death’s iconic look. No one is ready.
- Mason Alexander Park (the first Hedwig and the Angry Inch tour) is Desire, another of the Endless.
- Donna Preston is Despair, Desire’s twin sister.
- Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) is Johanna Constantine, “haunted exorcist and Occult Adventuress for Hire.” She is the great-great-grandmother of one John Constantine.
- Joely Richardson (Emerald City) is Ethel Cripps, and Niamh Walsh (Good Omens) is young Ethel Cripps. A lot happens in the span of her life.
- David Thewlis (the Harry Potter series) is John Dee, Ethel’s son, who also goes by another, more ominous name.
- Kyo Ra is Rose Walker, who has a special connection to Dream.
- Stephen Fry is Glibert, Rose’s proector.
- Razane Jammal (Paranormal) is Lyta Hall, Rose’s best friend.
- Sandra James Young (EastEnders) is Unity Kincaid, who Netflix describes as “heiress and mysterious benefactor,” and we’ll just leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
- And last but not least, Patton Oswalt will provide the voice of Matthew the raven, Dream’s messenger.
Sandman writer Neil Gaiman went into some detail about each character and the casting decisions in a post for Netflix, noting that they’re currently filming “The Doll’s House, the second big Sandman storyline,” which is where Rose, Lyta, Unity and Gilbert come in. “Of course,” Gaiman says, in typical Gaiman fashion, “there are more delights and nightmares cast than I’ve listed here, and we have a few more secrets up our sleeves.”
If we’ve counted right, we still don’t know who’s playing three of the Endless: Destruction, Destiny, and Delirium. That last one is a tricky bit of casting, and chance are that’s exactly what Gaiman is referencing. After all, Delirium was once Delight.
Netflix has been teasing that a trailer is coming soon, and honestly, after this announcement, it cannot get here soon enough.
