David S. Goyer reveals the decision to endThe Sandmanafter just two seasons, and it actually has nothing to do with the sexual allegations against author Neil Gaiman.The Sandmanis one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time. After many failed attempts to adapt it over the years, it finally arrived in the form of a Netflix series in 2022, which combined the first two arcs of the popular graphic novel series. With over 75 comic issues to pull from, it was a shocking revelation thatthe series would only run for two seasons, consisting of 23 episodes.
Speaking with Variety, series co-creator David S. Goyer talked about the decision to endThe Sandmanafter two seasons. Despite what many would expect, it did not have anything to do with the sexual misconduct allegations against the comic’s original author, Neil Gaiman, “When the accusations first came out, I think we were three weeks from finishing filming Season 2 — so we were very, very far down the path and Neil wasn’t as involved in Season 2 as he was in Season 1,” Goyer said. According to him, the decision to end after Season 2 was made years ago, and it came down to the fact that they focused specifically on the character of Dream (Tom Sturridge), who is absent from many of the single-issue comic stories. Goyer said:
“[The ending] was planned more than two years ago. And we had a lot of discussions, [showrunner] Allan [Heinberg] and I, with Netflix. And obviously we love the books, but one of the concerns about some of the story arcs is that Dream isn’t in them very much and so when we were discussing, everyone’s concern was like, are we really going to sort of deviate and do six episodes that Dream’s not in at all, except for the very end? And the other thing was even though the original comic book run, I think, was 75 issues, we just ended up burning through story faster than we thought we would, because the individual issues, a lot of them, when they were first being published, are only 17 pages.
So in many cases, the source material to make an episode was four or even sometimes five issues. So when we first went into it, we thought it would be possibly four 10-episode seasons. Now, the first season had 11, the second season is 12. When we talked through it, we felt, let’s make a slightly bigger Season 2 and take it through to the end. There’s always the possibility that we could do some of the other spinoff material, if you will. But it was just a question of, like, do we do it as three seasons? Do we do it as four? And again, we just decided, let’s just go for it and take it all the way through ‘The Wake [The final comic storyline].'"
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While Goyer’s comments about potential spin-offs forThe Sandmanmight sound promising, they seem highly unlikely.The allegations against Neil Gaiman, which include sexual assault and human trafficking, might not have influencedThe Sandman’s decision to conclude after two seasons, but they certainly have impacted many other works based on the author’s work.Good OmensSeason 3 was scrappedin favor of a single one-episode special. Meanwhile, Disney halted production onThe Graveyard Bookfollowing the five separate allegations of sexual assault by Neil Gaiman. It is doubtful Netflix will want to do any spin-offs ofThe Sandmanor have any ties to his work.
‘The Sandman’ Comes To an End
While the decision to streamlineThe Sandmaninto stories about Dream makes sense from a particular standpoint, the adaptation will lose many of the best elements that made the comic great. Part ofThe Sandman’s appeal was the one-off stories that delved into side characters or explored wider themes within the story. These include “Worlds' End,” a series of short stories that individuals tell during a reality storm, or “A Game for You,” which focuses on the side character of Barbie, who befriends a transgender woman named Wanda, whom she makes sure to honor after Wanda’s conservative parents deadname her. These stories might not be vital to the plot, but are key elementsof The Sandmancomics' enduring appeal, which is lost in adaptation.
The SandmanSeason 2 will air in three parts. Part 1 will have six episodes and debut on Jun 15, 2025. This will be followed by Part 2, containing the final five episodes, including the series finale, on Jul 27, 2025. One week later, on July 31,a special episode focused on Dream’s sister, Death(Kirby), will air. It is an adaptation of the three-issue 1993 miniseriesDeath: The High Cost of Living.The Sandman’s reputation, both as a comic series and a television adaptation, has been tarnished by Neil Gaiman’s actions. Goyer himself commented on the situation of promoting the series following the revelations about Gaiman, saying:
“Obviously, it’s complicated. I have tremendous respect for women that come forward in those situations. It’s really concerning, but I know that Netflix, at the time, felt, ‘God, we spent two years making this thing. There’s all these actors and writers and directors involved that, if we didn’t air it, wouldn’t be fully compensated for it.’ And so we just decided, we’re going to let this work speak for itself. But I’d be crazy to say it wasn’t weird.”
Source:Variety
The Sandman
