Neil Gaiman explains why Tom Ellis has not returned as Lucifer in Netflix's adaptation of The Sandman. The upcoming series is based upon the graphic novel series by Gaiman which was first published back in 1989. The series will revolve around Dream (Tom Sturridge), the personification of dreams, after he escapes decades of imprisonment by a mortal wizard and sets out to reclaim his lost equipment. Along with Sturridge, The Sandman boasts an all-star cast including Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Patton Oswalt, and Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. While Netflix has yet to set a specific release for The Sandman, it is expected later this year.
While many fans are certainly excited to see this beloved story adapted to the screen, The Sandman and Gaiman himself have received quite a bit of backlash for casting Game of Thrones actor Christie as the Lord of Hell. Some of the response simply comes from the fact that Christie is a woman, and many fans picture Lucifer as man, though Gaiman himself has already responded to this criticism, pointing out that Lucifer was always depicted as androgynous in his original comics. However, fans of the Netflix series Lucifer, which is loosely based on Gaiman's version of the character from The Sandman, have expressed disappointment that series lead Ellis was not asked to reprise his role in the upcoming show. With the recent Christie Lucifer casting backlash, many have questioned if it would not have been easier to just bring Ellis back to the role.
After one fan asked on Twitter why casting Ellis was not the direction the production decided to go in, Gaiman responds with a direct explanation. According to the author, while Ellis' Lucifer is based on the character he originally created, by the end of Lucifer season 6, the character is "so far away in terms of Sandman continuity." Due to this, Gaiman and the rest of the Sandman team have decided to start the series with a clean slate, and go back to "the version in the comics." See his full tweet below:
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While some are still wishing for the return of Ellis, many have joined the Twitter conversation in support of Gaiman, arguing that it should ultimately be up to him who portrays the character on screen. Others have also pointed out that there seems to be a push these days to make every property part of a shared universe, like the MCU or DCEU, and perhaps that isn't always needed to make a series succeed. After all, Ellis isn't the first actor to portray Gaiman's Lucifer, with Peter Stormare having played them in the 2005 film Constantine. Clearly the character can survive a recast.
All that said, the only true way to tell if the choice to cast Christie was the correct one is to wait for The Sandman to release on Netflix. After her long stint on Game of Thrones, Christie has certainly proven her ability to play formidable characters who can also display genuine emotional arcs, and it is likely she will deliver a quality performance. At any rate, Gaiman himself seems to have full confidence in the actor, which ultimately bodes better for The Sandman TV show than anything else.
Source: Neil Gaiman/Twitter