Topics
Why The Sandman Season 3 Isn't Happening
Netflix’s The Sandman wrapping up its run with the second season, the first half of which was released on Netflix this week, invites speculation due to the sensitive circumstances surrounding its production. The first season covers the storylines from the first two volumes of The Sandman comics, entitled Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll’s House.
While there are several more volumes of the main comic book series and its spinoffs, the decision was made to cover the most important stories in a final season. The Sandman season 2’s cast, featuring all the Endless and Vanesu Samunyai returning as Rose Walker, points to which storylines are being adapted.
Netflix announced that The Sandman season 2 would be the last installment in the months after sexual assault allegations were made against the source material’s co-author, Neil Gaiman. Since then, those involved with the show have revealed more about what their overall storytelling plans were.
The Sandman Was Always Intended To End After Season 2
The Show Decided On Its Endgame Back In 2022
Reportedly, The Sandman‘s creative team decided that the second season would be the last around the time the first season was released. Per Deadline, “It had been decided before filming began on season 2 that it would serve as the series’ conclusion.” Showrunner Allan Heinberg also said in an X post:
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.
In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, Heinberg points to Dream’s limited presence in certain volumes of the series’ source material. While The Sandman features many fascinating supporting characters, it does rely upon Tom Sturridge’s Dream, also Morpheus or the Sandman, as its anchor point.
The Sandman season 2’s bonus episode will dip its toes into storylines that don’t revolve around Dream. The final episode of the series, “Death: The High Cost of Living,” will reportedly focus on Dream’s sister Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), serving as a limited time away from the central character.
Related
The Sandman Season 2 Trailer Reveals The Endless Reunion & Release Date For Final Episodes
The Sandman season 2’s release date reveals that it will be split into two parts alongside new images showcasing Dream and the other Endless.
In the cancellation-ridden economy of streaming fantasy TV shows, condensing the remaining source material into a tight final season was the smarter move than plausibly drawing it out into a third installment. In contrast to popular fantasy shows that were canceled too soon, The Sandman will presumably have a much more satisfying ending.
The Sandman Was Not Canceled Due To Neil Gaiman Allegations
The Show’s Creatives Reveal Where They Were In Production When News Broke
The timing, however, made people wonder how the Neil Gaiman allegations may have impacted The Sandman‘s future, especially as other adaptations of his works have been stalled. Several women first spoke out against Gaiman in July 2024, while the Vulture article with detailed interviews from them was published in January 2025, the same month the final season of The Sandman was confirmed.
Heinberg affirmed (via EW) that the allegations were not the reason for The Sandman ending, calling it “unfortunate timing, for sure,” as the cast and crew were nearly done with production at the time. The show’s co-creator David S. Goyer also, more recently, gave a similar account to IndieWire:
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. […] 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.
Goyer also shared that Gaiman “wasn’t as involved with season 2 as […] season 1,” apparently also coincidental circumstances. Gaiman is credited as a co-creator and executive producer of the TV show. Regardless of these reports, The Sandman‘s last season will likely still be impacted by the allegations that Gaiman has denied.
Source: Deadline, X, Entertainment Weekly, Vulture, IndieWire
The Sandman
7/10
- Release Date
-
2022 – 2025-00-00
- Network
-
Netflix
- Showrunner
-
Allan Heinberg
- Directors
-
Louise Hooper, Andrés Baiz, Hisko Hulsing, Mike Barker, Coralie Fargeat
-
Tom Sturridge
Morpheus / Dream
-
Boyd Holbrook
The Corinthian
