THE SANDMAN Adds Kirby Howell-Baptiste As Death, Jenna Coleman As Johanna Constantine, And More

THE SANDMAN Adds Kirby Howell-Baptiste As Death, Jenna Coleman As Johanna Constantine, And More

The upcoming Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman has rounded out its cast with some major new additions, including Cruella actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. Find out more after the jump.

By MarkCassidy - May 26, 2021 08:05 AM EST
Filed Under: The Sandman

Netflix has finally announced the final 12 principal cast members for its highly anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, and some of these choices are bound to stir up debate among fans of the seminal DC Vertigo series.

The biggest addition is Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place, Cruella) as Death, The Sandman's fan-favorite sister. Their twin siblings Desire and Despair will be played by Mason Alexander Park and Donna Preston, respectively, while Joely Richardson will play Ethel Cripps, and David Thewlis will take on the role of her son John Dee, aka the deranged Dr. Destiny.

Since we know the first season will encompass The Dolls House arc, we also have Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, aka Fiddler's Green, and Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall. Patton Oswalt will voice Matthew the Raven, and Jenna Coleman will play John Constantine's great-great-great grandmother, Lady Johanna Constantine.

They join Tom Sturridge as Dream, Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Logan actor Boyd Holbrook as sadistic escaped nightmare The Corinthian, Vivienne Acheampong (The Witches) as The Dreaming's loyal custodian Lucienne, Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as black magician Roderick Burgess, and Asim Chaudhry (Black Mirror) and Sanjeeve Bhaskar (Yesterday) as Abel and Cain, respectively.

The 11-episode first season of The Sandman is expected to adapt the first arc of the Vertigo comics series, "Preludes and Nocturnes," which finds Dream captured by a black magician and held prisoner for the better part of a century. When he finally escapes, he sets about recovering three very important items, encountering Lucifer, John Constantine, Doctor Destiny, Martian Manhunter and more on his travels.

Gaiman is developing the show along with David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg. No premiere date has been set.

What do you guys make of these casting additions? Drop us a comment down below.

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UXASIS
UXASIS - 5/26/2021, 8:31 AM
Well, I'm glad that Johanna isn't a gender-bent John.

Also, such a beautiful Lady doesn't seem like a dirty smoking occult detective.

oldnoname
oldnoname - 5/26/2021, 8:37 AM
I don't know who Mason Alexander Park is but after a quick google they definitely look the part. Good on them getting a nonbinary person, too. I'm really happy with this cast so far!
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 5/26/2021, 10:51 AM
@MarTooth - Unfortunately that sounds like they've replaced John Constantine with a gender-flipped Johanna Constantine named after her great-great-great Grandmother.

The quote I used earlier about "the John Constantine story" was from sometime last year. Maybe they changed their minds (and John's gender) since then.

I could get into it, but it just seems like we've lost an actor by having Jenna play both. No Matt Ryan or Dan Stevens. But maybe it's all worth it and the present day Johanna is even better than a Matt Ryan or whoever would have been.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 5/26/2021, 8:37 AM
UXASIS
UXASIS - 5/26/2021, 8:37 AM
Yet John hasn't been cast...

Who would be a fit casting addition?

Travis Fimmel?

Battabing
Battabing - 5/26/2021, 8:40 AM
Interesting that they included Lyta Hall, the daughter of the Golden Age Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor.
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 5/26/2021, 9:53 AM
@Battabing - If you've read the books, she's an interesting choice to be the person she ends up being. Especially since Hippolyta (her grandmother and namesake) created Wonder Woman from the clay of a Themysciran beach.

Both her and Hector Hall were very significant choices to play the roles they play.

(trying to be non-spoilery for those that haven't read it).
TocharianMonk
TocharianMonk - 5/26/2021, 8:55 AM
Ugh... look what they've done to my baby. Honestly guys if you've never read the comic it's a masterpiece. This however....
marvel72
marvel72 - 5/26/2021, 1:58 PM
@TocharianMonk - Totally agree, I just can't support this.

Sandman in name only.
Franshu
Franshu - 5/26/2021, 5:06 PM
@TocharianMonk - Same feelings here. Think I'll pass on this one.
TocharianMonk
TocharianMonk - 5/26/2021, 8:58 AM
Like did they really need the pronouns??? Lolol I know there's a trans character in the comic so I hope they get a trans actress to play her, there's alot of trans actors looking for work, that'd be great. But really??? This??
Blergh
Blergh - 5/26/2021, 9:00 AM
@TocharianMonk - I don't really see the issue with the pronouns. It's meant to be inclusive and doesn't intrude on anyone's rights
TocharianMonk
TocharianMonk - 5/26/2021, 9:17 AM
@Blergh - it's just unnecessary I find. Not offended or anything, just find it odd.
Spagett
Spagett - 5/26/2021, 10:04 AM
@TocharianMonk - Probably there because one of them is They/Them and they didn't want people "messing up" when talking about the cast.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 5/26/2021, 11:29 AM
@Blergh - stating the obvious pal
McMurdo
McMurdo - 5/26/2021, 11:30 AM
@TocharianMonk - go woke or go broke pal. “This is the way”
Franshu
Franshu - 5/26/2021, 5:08 PM
@TocharianMonk - Brownie points.

Thing about Desire is that he/she isn't relly trans. Desire appears to each person's eyes and sounds whichever way may be needed to be... well, desireable.
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