THE SANDMAN's Two-Season Run Was 'Always the Plan,' Says Showrunner, But Fans Still Have Questions — GeekTyrant
Netflix's The Sandman is preparing to bow out this summer with its second and final season, and according to showrunner Allan Heinberg, that was the plan all along. Even if the timing of the announcement made some fans raise an eyebrow.
When Netflix first renewed the hit adaptation in 2022, the streamer hyped a growing 'Sandman world' and teased more stories drawn from Neil Gaiman's iconic graphic novels. What the announcement didn't do was offer any specifics, like how many seasons viewers could expect.
That lack of clarity has left some fans feeling blindsided by the revelation that the upcoming second season is the end of the road.
Then came January 2025. Just as headlines began swirling around Gaiman, who denied allegations of sexual abuse, Netflix confirmed that The Sandman would conclude with Season 2. Some assumed the controversy may have prompted a creative pivot or early cancellation.
But Heinberg insists that's not the case, he told Variety:
'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.'
Now, with the show's return just weeks away, Heinberg is doubling down. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said: 'It was a decision we made three years ago.'
He acknowledged the awkward optics of Netflix's timing, announcing the end of the series just as Gaiman-related controversy was growing, but emphasized that the creative plan hadn't changed.
'I can't say that it affected our process, which is scheduled years in advance. It's been in the periphery of my experience and the background of my experience, but it hasn't been part of the world of the making of the show, if that makes sense. Every production is its own little island.'
Still, the rollout has felt to some fans like the kind of tidy PR positioning studios fall back on when external complications arise. The situation echoes the path taken by Good Omens , another Gaiman-driven project.
That show opted for a single 90-minute special instead of a full third season, and Gaiman stepped back from production altogether.
Whether or not viewers buy the "two-season plan" pitch, The Sandman's endgame is now locked in. Season 2 will release in two parts, with the first on July 3, and the finale on July 24.
As Morpheus prepares for his final on-screen chapter, audiences will be watching to see how the story ends, and how the show will close out under a cloud of controversy and curiosity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
6 minutes ago
- Associated Press
B-2 bombers involved in US strike on Iran nuclear facilities return to Missouri Air Force base
KNOB NOSTER, Mo. (AP) — The B-2 stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities began returning to their U.S. base in Missouri on Sunday. An Associated Press journalist watched on a clear but windy afternoon as seven of the B-2 Spirit bombers came in for landing at Whiteman Air Force Base. The base, about 73 miles (117 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only U.S. military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers. The first group of four of the stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes. The day before, the B-2s had been part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as an existential threat and has been pummeling for more than a week. According to U.S. officials, one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base in the U.S. heartland on Saturday, intended as a decoy to throw off the Iranians. Another flight of seven quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. Aided by an armada of refueling tankers and fighter jets — some of which launched their own weapons — U.S. pilots dropped 14 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday local time on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran. American sailors bolstered the surprise mission by firing dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site. U.S. officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade, nor mustered a shot at the stealthy American jets. Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the mission carried out a 'precision strike' that 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' U.S. officials said, even as they acknowledged an assessment was ongoing. For its part, Iran denied that any significant damage had been done, and the Islamic Republic pledged to retaliate.
Wall Street Journal
8 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Trump's ‘Big, Beautiful' Bill Gets Slimmed Down in Senate
WASHINGTON—President Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill is getting smaller just as Republicans head into a crucial week, after the Senate's rules arbiter decided several controversial provisions don't qualify for the special procedure the GOP is using to bypass Democratic opposition. The tax-and-spending megabill centers on extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts, delivering on the spirit of his campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, and providing big lump sums of money for border security and defense. Those new costs are partially offset by spending cuts, in particular to Medicaid.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US Embassy working to evacuate Americans from Israel: Huckabee
America's ambassador to Israel said Wednesday the United States is working to evacuate U.S. citizens from the country as an escalating conflict with Iran enters its sixth day. 'Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures,' Ambassador Mike Huckabee posted on social platform X. He noted Americans must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates and alerts on travel. The U.S. State Department on Saturday authorized family members of U.S. personnel and nonemergency employees to depart Israel 'due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region.' The State Department currently advises against travel to Israel, citing the risk of armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest. Hundreds of thousands of Americans live in Israel, many with dual citizenship. Other countries have also started evacuating citizens from Israel. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Tuesday that Beijing was starting evacuations. 'The ministry and embassies are making every effort to protect the safety of Chinese nationals in Iran and Israel and to swiftly organise the evacuation of Chinese nationals,' Guo said during a daily press briefing. Thailand's prime minister said Tuesday the air force has planes on standby to evacuate some 40,000 Thai citizens in Israel, who mostly work in agriculture. Some European countries have also moved to pull citizens out of the country, Politico reported Tuesday. The Polish Foreign Ministry announced it would evacuate about 200 citizens; the Czech Republic said it has evacuated about 70 citizens; and Lithuania said it would begin evacuations Tuesday. Israel launched its largest-ever attack on Iran on June 13, prompting retaliatory strikes from Iran. A tit-for-tat exchange of missile strikes has continued through the week, as President Trump reportedly considers joining Israel's campaign to destroy Tehran's nuclear facilities. With the country's main airport closed, Israel's government also issued a do-not-travel advisory telling citizens to avoid flying into Egypt and Jordan and entering Israel by land. 'We would like to reiterate that a Level 4 travel warning applies to the areas of the Sinai and Jordan, reflecting a high threat,' according to a message from Israel's National Security Council. 'We recommend avoiding arrival to these areas. These warnings are especially important during this tense period.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
