The cast for Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman has us more excited with each new announcement! Based on Neil Gaiman’s seminal DC Comics stories, the dark fantasy series centres on supernatural beings, including Dream, who has been imprisoned for a century when the story begins. It’s a high-profile project, so it’s no wonder that it’s attracted some major names to join its cast, including several veterans of other big-name sci-fi and fantasy franchises.
Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the first season, but it’s at least kept us updated with cast announcements! Keep reading to see who will be appearing in the cast and what mysterious and powerful characters they’ll each be playing.
Tom Sturridge as Dream of the Endless
Sturridge will play Dream, also known by several other names, the king of stories and the realm of Dreaming, who escapes a century after his capture and sets out to restore his kingdom. The British actor was most recently seen in the TV series Sweetbitter; he also has two Tony nominations for his work on stage, including opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Sea Wall/A Life.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
Howell-Baptiste, who you may recognize as Simone from The Good Place (or, more recently, Anita Darling in Cruella), has been cast to play Death, who Netflix describes as “Dream’s wiser, nicer, and much more sensible sister.”
Donna Preston as Despair
Despair is Desire’s twin sister, embodying the total, bleak loss of hope. Preston most recently appeared in the British series Infatuation – Island of Love.
Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer
Christie has one of the most intriguing roles in the whole show: Lucifer, the ruler of Hell. Since her role as the heroic Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, Christie has enjoyed a wide variety of roles, from the Star Wars villain Phasma to a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as fairy queen Titania and more.
Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine
No, not John Constantine – Johanna is the great-great-great-grandmother of the popular DC Comics character, with a similar knack for the occult. Coleman, of course, is no stranger to sci-fi and fantasy, having played companion Clara Oswald on Doctor Who.
Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian
As the Corinthian, Holbrook plays a literal nightmare: the character is a nightmare originally created by Dream but gone rogue. You may recognise Holbrook from playing DEA Agent Murphy in Narcos or, more recently, from the Netflix movie In the Shadow of the Moon. He’s snagged a pretty big movie coming up next, too: he’s been cast in an undisclosed role in the upcoming Indiana Jones 5.
Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess
The acting legend portrays Roderick Burgess, the man Ethel loved and the occultist responsible for trapping Dream after a failed attempt to summon and trap Death. Dance recently appeared on The Crown as Lord Mountbatten, but you probably known him best as the ruthless Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones.
Joely Richardson as Ethel Cripps
Richardson is set to play Ethel Cripps, mother of John Dee and, in the present day, a woman with a mysterious past and a talent for spinning new identities and lies out of thin air. The actress is one of those “has been in everything” performers, with a long resume including stints on popular TV shows such as Nip/Tuck and The Tudors.
Niamh Walsh as Young Ethel Cripps
In flashbacks to the 1920s and ’30s, Walsh will play the young version of Ethel, a young woman who’s been betrayed and is struggling to survive. This won’t be Walsh’s first time playing a role in a Neil Gaiman adaptation: she appeared in the TV version of Good Omens as Greta Kleinschmidt. More recently, she was seen playing Martha Almond in The English Game.
David Thewlis as John Dee
John Dee is definitely not a warm-and-kind role like Thewlis’s famous turn as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter films; instead, he’s a man who’s been driven mad and is out on a dangerous quest for the potentially devastating Truth with a capital T. Thewlis has a lengthy resume on stage and screen, including another recent DC Comics role as Ares, the god of war.
Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall
Jammal, who most recently appeared as Maggie on Netflix’s Paranormal, is set to play Lyta, a young widow who, while mourning her late husband Hector, starts experiencing strange things – including seeing Hector in her vivid dreams.
Stephen Fry as Gilbert
The British comedy legend takes on the role of Gilbert, Rose’s loyal and skillful protector as she navigates a treacherous new world. Fry’s rise to fame began in the 1980s as one half of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie (alongside Hugh Laurie), and he’s become a staple of the comedy world since then.
Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven
Oswalt has built his career on memorable character roles, and voicing Dream’s trusted emissary will definitely continue that tradition! This won’t be his first major voice role, either: he’s the voice of Remy in Ratatouille and voices the villain M.O.D.O.K. on the series of the same name, along with his lengthy live-action resume that currently includes AP Bio.
Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain
Bhaskar is an acclaimed actor and comedian, especially in the U.K., where he received an OBE honor in 2006. You may recognise him from his stints with Horrible Histories or the 2019 dramedy Yesterday, among many other roles. He’s playing Cain, as in the biblical Cain and a resident of Dreaming.
Asim Chaudhry as Abel
Chaudhry, who you may recognise from Black Mirror: Bandersnatch or the mockumentary People Just Do Nothing, will play a version of the biblical Abel. He’s next set to costar in the romantic comedy What’s Love Got to Do With It.
