Whoa! We've got some disappointing news to share... In a surprising turn of events, Netflix has just given the boot to one of its popular dark fantasy series right before the launch of its upcoming season. The Sandman has hit a dead end. After the release of its long-awaited second season this year, the series will not continue.
Are we entirely surprised by this news? Not necessarily. There's been a lot of interesting things going on behind the scenes involving one of the show's creators. Neil Gaiman, the creator of The Sandman comic and co-creator of the Netflix television series adaptation, has recently faced accusations of sexual assault from multiple women. However, despite how this might seem, it doesn’t appear to be the reason for the show’s cancellation.
Variety reported that during the production of season 2, sources connected to the project informed them that The Sandman was expected to wrap up after its second season. This basically means its cancellation was inevitable. Sadly, today had to be the day it was confirmed, marking the end of what many hoped would be a long-running series.
So, if Gaiman's scandal wasn't the cause of The Sandman's cancellation, then what was? Well, it seems the decision was made by the show's creative team. In a statement to Variety, series showrunner Allan Heinberg explained that when he and the rest of The Sandman team assessed the remaining material, they realized they had enough content to complete just one more season of the show. That season is the upcoming second installment. In other words, The Sandman's cancellation was due to a lack of material to sustain further seasons rather than external factors.
"The Sandman’ series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season. We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics’ loyal readers as well as fans of our show.” - Allan Heinberg
The Sandman season 2 does not have an official release date yet, though it's currently being rumored to come out this July. We'll get back to you with the release date once Netflix reveals it. The second season will see Dream grappling with his past mistakes as he works to restore his kingdom. Tom Sturridge returns as Dream. Also joining him in the season 2 cast are Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, and many others.