It feels like it has been approximately forever since the first season of The Sandman, so every bit of casting news is extremely welcome. In May, Netflix announced the actors playing the members of the Endless—the siblings of Morpheus (Tom Sturridge)—that we didn’t see in season one. And now they’ve announced eight more actors, who are joining the show in a wide array of very, very interesting roles.
As showrunner Allan Heinberg told Tudum, “In the next chapter of The Sandman, the King of Dreams will come face-to-face—and go toe-to-toe—with the formidable rulers of Hell, Asgard, Faerie, and the realms beyond.” These characters are described as being from the Sandman collections Season of Mists and Brief Lives, but sharp-eyed Sandman readers will note that at least one of these folks is actually from A Game of You.
Here are the new arrivals in the Sandman universe:
Ruairi O’Connor (The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It) will play Orpheus, the son of Dream and Calliope (who appeared in that very upsetting coda episode last season). Orpheus is, as Netflix puts it, “an idealistic, romantic, young man—and very much his father’s son—until tragedy strikes and reveals to him the true nature of love.”
Freddie Fox (The Great) plays Loki, who needs very little introduction these days. This version of the Norse god is described thusly: “The smartest and most dangerous person in any room, Loki is utterly irresistible and never to be trusted.”
Clive Russell (Game of Thrones) plays Odin, who you also know all about. Here, he is very busy trying to avert Ragnarök. (Side note: This is not Russell’s first Gaiman adaptation; he was Mr. Vandemar in the BBC’s Neverwhere.)
Laurence O’Fuarain (The Witcher: Blood Origin) is Thor, described as “brusque, rude, and driven entirely by his appetites for food and drink, battle, and sex.”
Ann Skelly (The Nevers) and Douglas Booth (Jupiter Ascending) play Nuala and Cluracan, siblings who come from the court of Faerie and who “are opposites in every way. Nuala is responsible, empathetic, and principled. Cluracan is an impulsive rogue who lives for pleasure. They disagree about everything, except their devotion to each other.”
Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones) plays Puck, “a malevolent hobgoblin” who “is fascinated by mortals and enjoys nothing more than making sport of them for his own amusement.”
Steve Coogan (24 Hour Party People) voices Barnabas the dog, the companion of the Prodigal. “Barnabas is loyal and loving, but an outspoken cynic. Meaning, he’s both man’s best friend and man’s sharpest critic,” says Tudum.
And last but absolutely not least, Indya Moore (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom) plays Wanda, “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.” It’s Wanda who appears in A Game of You, which makes her appearance on this list quite intriguing.
There still no word on when, exactly, The Sandman’s second season will arrive on Netflix, but it’s in production now.
