Based on the award-winning comic books written by Neil Gaiman, Netflix's The Sandman has announced the first wave of actors making up the show's main band of characters. The formal press release confirmed some long-rumored casting choices, such as Tom Sturridge playing the titular Sandman.
Originally running across 76 issues, The Sandman has a well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest graphic novel series of all time. The book won 26 individual Eisner Awards, with three of those being for Best Continuing Series. There have been several attempts to adapt it for television and film in the past, but none of them proved productive until Netflix acquired the license and the support of Neil Gaiman himself.
Given that, and the success of other Gaiman-backed adaptations such as Good Omens, hopes are high for the new series and fans of the original books have been eagerly awaiting confirmation of the show's cast. While the cast list features some unusual choices and confirms the producers' commitment to presenting a more diverse ensemble, it cannot be denied that the line-up thus far seems capable of capturing the horror and the humor of the Sandman setting. Here's a rundown of The Sandman characters confirmed so far, and how the actors compare to their comic counterparts.
Tom Sturridge as Dream of the Endless
Dream is the chief protagonist of The Sandman. As the creative spirit and guardian of the dream realms, Dream has more names, titles and responsibilities than he has friends, though he values them all highly and is recognized as a god of dreams and imagination by multiple pantheons. Dream will be played by Tom Sturridge, who was most recently seen as Jake in the series Sweetbitter. He has also appeared in a number of historical dramas, playing Lord Byron opposite Elle Fanning in Mary Shelley, and Henry VI in The Hollow Crown.
Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar
Both beautiful and terrible, Lucifer Morningstar is a former angel and one of the most powerful beings in creation. As ruler of Hell, Lucifer holds dominion over all those souls who believe they deserve punishment for their crimes, as well as all the many fallen angels and demons who call Hell home. Lucifer will be played by Gwendoline Christine, who will be instantly recognizable to fans of Game of Thrones as Ser Brienne of Tarth. She is also familiar to Star Wars fans for her performances as Captain Phasma.
Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess
A rival of Aleister Crowley and self-declared "daemon king", Roderick Burgess was far better at intimidation and stagecraft than true occult mastery. Despite this, the persuasive leader of the Order of Ancient Mysteries still managed an impressive yet accidental feat of true magic which would go on to have dire consequences for Dream and all of reality. Burgess is played by Charles Dance, who is best known as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. He also appears as Lord Mountbatten in The Crown.
Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne The Librarian
Dream's castle lies at the heart of The Dreaming, but the heart of Dream's castle is the Library of Dreams; a depository containing not just every book ever written, but every story ever imagined. Lucien, the chief librarian, oversees this impossible collection and also takes charge of the management of Dream's household whilst he is away. Gender-flipped for the Netflix series, the head librarian Lucienne will be played by comedian Vivienne Acheampong. Most recently seen as Alice's Mum in The Witches, Acheampong will be a familiar face to British stand-up and sketch comedy fans, who may have seen her on Famalam and The Emily Atack Show.
Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, An Escaped Nightmare
One of the many nightmares to populate The Dreaming, the Corinthian was created to act as a dark mirror of humanity. Growing bored with his duties, he journeyed to the Waking World and became a legendary serial killer, hiding his teeth-filled eye-sockets behind a pair of sunglasses. The Corinthian will be played by Boyd Holbrook, who is perhaps most famous for playing the role of Donald Pierce in Logan. He's also well-remembered as Quinn McKenna in The Predator.
Asim Chaudhry as Abel, The First Victim
Keeper of the House of Secrets, Abel is history's first murder victim and one of Dream's most devoted servants. Abel will be played by actor, comedian and writer Asim Chaudhry. First finding fame for his creation of the popular Chabuddy G character, Chaudhry is best known for his work on People Just Do Nothing. He recently appeared in the cast of Wonder Woman 1984 as Roger, Diana's co-worker who unknowingly used the Dreamstone to wish for a cup of coffee.
Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, The First Murderer
Keeper of the House of Mystery, Cain is history's first murderer and another of Dream's most devoted servants. Cain will be played by actor and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar, who can currently be seen as Detective Inspector Sunil 'Sunny' Khan in the murder mystery series Unforgotten. He's also famous as the creator and star of the series The Kumars at No. 42.