We’re coming up on two full years since The Sandman premiered to Netflix subscription holders, but fans of the show can take comfort knowing that progress on Season 2 is coming along nicely. Back in May, we learned that Adrian Lester, Esmé Creed-Miles and Barry Sloane had come aboard to respectively play Endless members Destiny, Delirium and The Prodigal. Now even more castings have been announced, including some notable Game of Thrones alums. Additionally, Neil Gaiman, creator of the original Sandman comic book series and an executive producer on the show, has also shared which of these characters he’s “thrilled” to see in live-action.
First, let’s go over who will be joining Lester, Creed-Miles and Sloane in The Sandman Season 2, which was ordered in November 2022:
- Ruairi O’Connor as Orpheus
- Indya Moore as Wanda
- Ann Skelly as Nuala
- Douglas Booth as Cluracan
- Freddie Fox as Loki
- Laurence O’Fuarain as Thor
- Clive Russell as Odin
- Jack Gleeson as Puck
- Steve Coogan as the voice of Barnabas
Game of Thrones fans will, of course, immediately recognize Jack Gleeson from his time as Joffrey Baratheon, and Clive Russell also appeared in the popular HBO series (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) as Brynden Tully. Interestingly, The Sandman is the second Netflix show that Russell has recently joined, as he’s also among the key castings for One Piece Season 2. I’d be remiss if I also didn’t mention Steve Coogan lending his vocal talents as Barnabas, The Prodigal’s dog companion.
However, when it comes to what Neil Gaiman’s looking forward to most from The Sandman Season 2, that honor belongs to Indya Moore’s Wanda, who, as described by Tudum, is “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.” Like in the source material, Wanda is a transgender woman, as is Moore, whose credits include Pose, Nimona and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Here’s what Gaiman had to say about Wanda being depicted in live-action:
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. 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.
It’s worth mentioning that Netflix’s The Sandman appears to be merging its version of Wanda with a comics character named Ruby DeLonge. In the Brief Lives story arc, Ruby worked for Farrell Travel, a travel agency run by the old god Pharamond, who lived on Earth as Mister Pharrell and catered to both worldly and otherworldly clients. Ruby accompanied Dream and Delirium on their road trip to find their lost brother Destruction, i.e. The Prodigal. Meanwhile, the original version of Wanda was the roommate and close friend of Barbie, who was played in The Sandman Season 1 by Lily Travers.
Given the changes being made to Wanda, it’s unclear what this will mean for The Sandman show’s take on the A Game of You story arc, where Barbie has moved to New York and finds her imaginary world called being threatened by an entity called The Cuckoo. Wanda played an integral role in that arc, so will she simply be substituted with another character? Or is it possible that The Sandman will skip over that arc for the sake of streamlining Morpheus’ saga?
We’ll find out once The Sandman Season 2 premieres on its yet-to-be-revealed date. Meanwhile, feel free to revisit Season 1 alongside the other best shows on Netflix, and use the 2024 TV schedule to learn what’s currently airing.
