A new clip from Netflix's The Sandman has been released, in which Dream watches Death as she helps comfort an old man in his final moments. Kirby Howell-Baptiste will portray Death of the Endless in Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's classic comic-book series. The Sandman will release on August 5th, 2022, with Tom Sturridge portraying the lead character, Dream.
In the world of The Sandman, Sturridge's Dream is only one of seven incredibly powerful beings known as the Endless. Representing powerful aspects of the universe, the Endless includes Dream himself as the lord of all dreams, Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston), Destiny, Delirium, Destruction, and Death. As her name suggests, Death is responsible for representing the concept of death, and she helps guide souls into what comes next when their time has come. Following fans getting a glimpse at Netflix's take on Gaiman's dark fantasy story in a new trailer that was released at SDCC 2022, a recently released clip has placed the spotlight on Howell-Baptiste's portrayal of Death of the Endless.
Released by IGN, the clip sees Dream join Death, as they visit an elderly man named Harry attempting to play his violin. Standing in the doorway, Dream watches as Death briefly discusses the piece of music with Harry, before it dawns on the old man who he is speaking with. While he pleads at first to be given more time, Harry accepts his fate, only asking to say one last prayer, which Death allows him to do. With Dream watching in silence, Harry rises from his chair, leaving behind his physical body, looking at himself one last time before asking Death what comes next. Dream then respectfully turns away as Death helps Harry's soul pass on. Check out the emotional scene below.
Click here to see the original clip.
Howell-Baptiste's casting as Death was announced alongside eleven other cast members in May 2021. Alongside Howell-Baptiste, Netflix announced on Twitter that Park and Preston had been cast as Desire and Despair, as well as Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven, David Thewlis as John Dee, Joely Richardson and Niamh Walsh as the elderly and young Ethel Cripps, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Kyo Ra as Rose Walker, Sandra James Young as Unity Kincaid, and Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall. While photos from filming in London offered a brief glimpse at Howell-Baptiste in full costume, Netflix offered fans a first official look at Death in a character poster released in September 2021.
While Netflix has already offered a glimpse at The Sandman's fantastical, dark, mystical worlds through previously released trailers, this newly released clip gives the best look yet at the popular character of Death, as well as a glimpse at Howell-Baptiste's portrayal. Gaiman's version of Death stood out from other similar portrayals in fiction due to her down-to-Earth, kinder, and comforting nature when handling her duties, and Howell-Baptiste perfectly captures these traits as she gently guides Harry through his final moments. With other small touches such as Dream's respectful observation of the emotional moment adding to the scene, Netflix's and Howell-Baptiste's adaptation of Death promises to capture what made the character a stand-out figure in the original graphic novel.
Source: IGN