After nearly three years off our screens, The Sandman is finally waking up—and it’s bringing the entire Endless family along for the ride.
Netflix just dropped the first teaser for the second and final season of the critically-acclaimed dark fantasy series, and the message is clear: this isn’t just a return, it’s a reckoning.
Season 2 will arrive in two volumes—Volume 1 premieres July 3 with six episodes, and Volume 2 follows on July 24 with five more to wrap the story. And if the teaser’s anything to go by, we’re in for a haunting, high-stakes goodbye.
The Official Logline for Season 2
“After a fateful reunion with his family, Dream of the Endless (Tom Sturridge) 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.”
A Family Reunion… That Might Destroy the World
The new season opens with what might be the most awkward dinner in the universe: a reunion of the Endless siblings. Dream (Tom Sturridge) takes a seat alongside the familiar faces of Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), and Despair (Donna Preston), but this time, they’re joined by the remaining siblings we’ve yet to meet—Destiny (Adrian Lester), Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles), and “The Prodigal” (Barry Sloane).
Fans of Neil Gaiman’s comic will clock this as a major moment. All seven siblings at the table? That’s lore-heavy, canon-breaking type of storytelling, and it sets the stage for a narrative that’s both mythic and personal.
New Gods, Old Magic
But the family drama isn’t the only thread we’re following. This season introduces a who’s-who of powerful new characters. Clive Russell, Laurence O’Fuarain, and Freddie Fox are stepping into divine roles as Odin, Thor, and Loki. Jack Gleeson, Ann Skelly, and Douglas Booth bring Shakespeare’s faerie realm to life as Puck, Nuala, and Cluracan.
Ruairi O’Connor will also appear as Orpheus—another name fans of the comic will immediately recognize as key to Dream’s most painful regrets.
All told, this season expands The Sandman universe in ways both sprawling and intimate.
The End of the Dream
Netflix confirmed earlier this year that Season 2 will be the final chapter. That decision came amid serious allegations of sexual misconduct against series creator Neil Gaiman. While Gaiman remains credited as an executive producer, the extent of his creative involvement this season remains unclear. He has publicly denied the allegations.
Regardless, showrunner Allan Heinberg emphasized that this closing arc was always the plan.
“When we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season,” he wrote earlier this year. “We’re extremely grateful to Netflix for giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation.”
Full Cast for Season 2
Tom Sturridge, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester, Barry Sloane, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Jenna Coleman, Ferdinand Kingsley, Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Razane Jammal, Ruairi O’Connor, Freddie Fox, Clive Russell, Laurence O’Fuarain, Ann Skelly, Douglas Booth, Jack Gleeson, Indya Moore, and Steve Coogan.
What Comes Next
With production halted last year due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Season 2 took its time getting here. But its arrival feels like the kind of cinematic event that demands full attention—especially given the show’s cult status and the bittersweet energy of a story wrapping up before its world has worn out its welcome.
So mark your calendars:
- Volume 1: July 3
- Volume 2: July 24
Because this summer, The Sandman isn’t just dreaming—it’s closing the book with thunder, myth, and one last family meeting that could shake the realms.