'The Sandman's' Final Season to Air in Two Parts This Summer

Get ready to return to the world of the Dreaming this summer. Netflix has at long last confirmed that its critically acclaimed adaptation of The Sandman will (finally!) return this July, split into two parts (or "volumes") with release dates three weeks apart. (While the staggered release schedule is undoubtedly more than a bit annoying, it's not uncommon for some of the streamer's significant budget properties to drop this way. See also: The Witcher, The Crown, and Stranger Things.)

Based on the award-winning DC Comics series of the same name, the drama stars Tom Sturridge (Irma Vep) as Dream, also known as Morpheus, one of the seven immortal beings known as the Endless, who are essentially personifications of various aspects of human reality. The series' first season saw Dream taken prisoner by a moral occultist and held captive for much of a century before escaping, searching for his stolen totems of power across various realms, and returning to the damaged Dream world he had left behind. 

The streamer also dropped a first-look teaser, which leans into the big moment everyone's waiting to see: the family meeting between the Endless that takes place in the Season of Mists. This means that not only will we be meeting the rest of Dream's family, but a positive cavalcade of famous characters from legend and literature, including Norse gods (Odin, Thor, Loki), fairies (Cluracan, Nuala), and even a Shakespeare character or two (Puck).

Netflix announced earlier this year that The Sandman would conclude with its second season. The news came amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations against comics author Neil Gaiman, who previously served as the series’s showrunner. Gaiman has since denied the allegations, but the ongoing fallout has impacted many of his in-progress projects. Notably, Good Omens’ final season was downgraded to a single feature film, while The Sandman spin-off, Dead Boy Detectives, was canceled, and production on the long-gestating Disney adaptation of The Graveyard Book was put on hold. 

But, according to industry reports, The Sandman’s end was decided upon fairly early on. The decision to conclude with Season 2 was reportedly made before filming on Season 2 began in 2023, before the strikes, and over a year before the allegations against Gaiman became public knowledge.

“The Sandman series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season,” Heinberg said when the final season was first announced. “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.”

Beyond the promise that Season 2 will “tell Dream’s story arc in full,” we still don’t really know much about this final run of episodes. Early set reports indicated the show was adapting stories from across the comics’ run, including Season of Mists, Brief Lives, and the special issue “The Song of Orpheus.” 

That tracks with where we left many plot threads at the end of the last run — with Morpheus coming to the aid of estranged wife (and Greek muse) Calliope, and Lucifer still furious about her defeat at the so-called “oldest game” that allowed Dream to retrieve his helmet. The Dreaming is still mainly in ruins, and Dream’s attempts to rebuild his kingdom will clearly be complicated by his siblings, three of whom (Destiny, Delirium, and Destruction) we’re set to meet for the first time. 

“The Endless are supposed to be just that: endless. They’re meant to go on in perpetuity. They’re not supposed to change,” showrunner Allan Heinberg said. “But change is, of course, inevitable and essential to all life. Which is something Dream refuses to accept – at first. And when one of the Endless changes, it has colossal ramifications for all of us.”

Here's the synopsis. 

After a fateful reunion with his family, Dream of the Endless must face one impossible decision after another as he attempts to save himself, his kingdom, and the waking world from the epic fallout of his past misdeeds. To make amends, Dream must confront longtime friends and foes, gods, monsters, and mortals. But the path to forgiveness is full of unexpected twists and turns, and true absolution may cost Dream everything.”

Alongside Sturridge as Dream, the series also stars Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Culprits) as Death, Mason Alexander Park (Quantum Leap) as Desire, Donna Preston (Bad Tidings) as Despair, Adrian Lester (Renegade Nell) as Destiny, Esme Creed-Miles (The Doll Factory) as Delirium, and Barry Sloane (Passenger) as Destruction. 

Other cast members returning for Season 2 include Patton Oswalt (What We Do in the Shadows) as Matthew the Raven, Vivienne Acheampong (Everything Now) as Lucienne, Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) as Lucifer Morningstar, Jenna Coleman (The Jetty) as Johanna Constantine, Ferdinand Kingsley (Silo) as Hob Gadling, Stephen Fry (Heartstopper) as Gilbert, Asim Chaudhry (The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin) as Abel, Sanjeev Bhaskar (Unforgotten) as Cain, Razane Jammal (Doubt) as Lyta Hall, and Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker.

Heinberg has taken over as series showrunner, with Jamie Childs (His Dark Materials) directing all episodes. Series writers include Ameni Rozsa, Alex Newman-Wise, Austin Guzman, Shadi Petosky, Jim Campolongo, Vanessa Benton, Jay Franklin, Greg Goetz, and Marina Marlens.

The Sandman Season 2, Volume 1 will premiere on Netflix on July 3, 2025, with six episodes. The final five installments, which comprise Volume 2, will follow on July 24. The Sandman Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.