Netflix won’t be pursuing a third season of their high-profile and expensive comic book streaming series, “The Sandman.” The news first revealed by Variety isn’t entirely shocking given how the second season greenlight took a bit longer than you’d want to see and those hefty costs versus viewership were an issue as well.
However, the timing of the ending of “The Sandamn” (adapted from DC Comics/Vertigo comics) seemed to be indirectly linked to a new wave of allegations of sexual abuse against creator, author, and producer Neil Gaiman and also being dropped by publisher Dark Horse Comics (a longtime partner of the comic book writer). These are clear signs that Gaiman’s career in the comic book space is coming to an end or in a self-inflicted tailspin for the foreseeable future.
READ MORE: ‘The Sandman’: Freddie Fox, Jack Gleeson, Steve Coogan & More Join The Cast As Season 2 Begins Production
Showrunner Allan Heinberg made the following statement to the outlet on the series coming to a close, “We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics’ loyal readers as well as fans of our show.”
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While we’re sure these revelations factored into how soon the cancelation was confirmed, it didn’t exactly feel like Netflix was rushing toward a third season, even before Gaiman’s allegations were spotlighted in the press and on social media. Netflix has a habit of not renewing costly projects that don’t hit their viewership targets or still ending ones that do, so, resources can be used on new projects.
How all this will impact the press tour for the upcoming final season is up in the air given the cast and creatives will likely be asked to comment on Gaiman’s allegations, which might detract from their contributions to the show and make things extremely awkward when Gaiman should be answering for himself rather than folks working on the streaming series.
If you’re not familiar with the comics or television adaptation, the official logline is below:
There is another world that waits for all of us when we close our eyes and sleep — a place called the Dreaming, where The Sandman, Master of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), gives shape to all of our deepest fears and fantasies. But when Dream is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for a century, his absence sets off a series of events that will change both the dreaming and waking worlds forever. To restore order, Dream must journey across different worlds and timelines to mend the mistakes he’s made during his vast existence, revisiting old friends and foes, and meeting new entities — both cosmic and human — along the way.
Those unaired episodes from Season 2 are still expected to be released sometime in 2025, although, Netflix has yet to reveal a date for the return and final run of “The Sandman.” It wouldn’t be surprising if the streamer decides to put a bit more distance between the recent distributing news concerning Gaiman and the second season drop.