Netflix has announced three more additions to The Sandman season 2's cast, and the trio are set to play more members of Dream's dysfunctional family.
In a press release, Netflix confirmed that The Sandman had added Barry Sloane, Adrian Lester, and Esme Creed-Miles to its season 2 cast. Not only that, but the trio will also play the final three members of The Endless, aka the gods that inhabit the fictional universe that Neil Gaiman created.
We know which characters they're playing in The Sandman season 2, too. Creed-Miles has been hired as Delirium, Lester will portray Destiny, and Sloane is on board as The Prodigal, the Endless sibling who's also known as Destruction. The latest cast announcements were accompanied by a brief reveal video, which shows the actors in their costumes. Check it out below:
The Endless have finally assembled: Introducing Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium and Barry Sloane as the Prodigal in the next season of THE SANDMAN. pic.twitter.com/1rzEqyfQUBMay 20, 2024
Lester, Sloane, and Creed-Miles join Tom Sturridge's Dream, Mason Alexander Park's Desire, Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death, and Donna Preston's Despair as the seven members of the Endless. It's unclear if the latter trio will appear alongside Sturridge and The Sandman's newcomers in one of the best Netflix shows' second season, but – based on events that transpire in Gaiman's beloved literary works – I'd be surprised if they don't cameo in season 2 at the very least.
This latest cast reveal is the first official news we've received about The Sandman since filming restarted on its sophomore outing. In November 2023, I reported that The Sandman season 2 had woken from its slumber, with principal photography recommencing after it was halted by the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Nobody knows when production will wrap on the series' next installment, but it's unlikely we'll see the hit series return to our screens before next year, especially with the amount of post-production work that'll be needed on the visual effects-heavy project.
Who are Destiny, Delirium, and The Prodigal in The Sandman?
That's a good question – and certainly one I can answer without giving away any spoilers.
Let's start with Destiny, who'll be played by Lester (some fans may recognize him from Renegade Nell, which recently aired on Disney Plus). In the source material, Destiny is the oldest of the Endless and resides in The Garden of Forking Ways. He carries The Book of Destiny, which is said to contain everything that ever was, is, and will be, with him wherever he goes – it's chained to his right hand – and, like his siblings, is bound by The Sandman's Ancient Rules that forbid him from, among other things, killing his fellow immortals.
Delirium, who'll be portrayed by Esme-Creed – you might have seen her in Prime Video's TV adaptation of Hanna – is the youngest of the Endless. She used to be known as Delight, the personification of pleasure and happiness but, for reasons unknown, morphed into the entity that's prone to erratic and scatter-brained behavior. Thanks to her new title and form, Delirium doesn't inhabit a specific realm, either. Due to her altered state – she's the only Endless to undergo such a transformation – her kingdom is considered to be abstract, and is forever changing shape and color.
As for The Prodigal, who's played by Sloane (UK viewers will know him from soaps including Hollyoaks and Holby City), he's the fourth oldest Endless. He's the only one to abandon his responsibilities as the personification of destruction (hence his former title) and creation, too, why is why he's referred to as The Prodigal by his siblings. He used to reside in The Fulcrum, an empty realm (save for a black sword at its center) that exists in a constant state of mid-explosion. Now, he traverses the cosmos with a talking dog called Barnabas.
It'll be fascinating to see all seven Endless interact in a live-action format (at different times and in different groups/settings) in The Sandman season 2, whenever that'll be. In the meantime, read my review of The Sandman season 1 (if you haven't watched it yet) and/or my exclusive chat with The Sandman's cast and crew about finally bringing Gaiman's iconic graphic novels to life.
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