The Sandman season 2 release date, clips and latest news
The fantasy drama reaches its conclusion this summer.
At long last, The Sandman has returned for its second – and final – season on Netflix, which concludes the story of Endless being Dream (played by Tom Sturridge).
The original comics by Neil Gaiman took a more anthological approach, featuring a revolving door of characters drawn into Dream's world by extraordinary circumstances, but the show has trimmed many of these tales for a more streamlined narrative.
According to showrunner Allan Heinberg, this has allowed The Sandman season 2 to serve as a natural endpoint to the fantasy saga, but some fans are understandably sceptical given that the source material spans 10 epic volumes.
Early reviews for the latest episodes have been mixed so far, with The Guardian and The Independent hitting them with two-star ratings, while The Telegraph and Collider have had more positive things to say.
As mentioned, The Sandman is based on a comic book series by well-known fantasy author Gaiman, who has been accused of sexual assault, which he has strongly denied.
A total of nine women have spoken out against the writer, with their accusations being detailed in a Vulture article published in January 2025, and in a Tortoise Media podcast released in July 2024.
Allegations included claims that Gaiman engaged them in "rough" sex and BDSM without their consent. The novelist has firmly denied any non-consensual or illegal conduct in a statement.
He said: "As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don't, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen.
"I'm far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever."
Here's everything you need to know about The Sandman season 2 on Netflix.
The Sandman season 2 release date
The Sandman season 2 will be released in two parts this summer, with the first six episodes available to stream on Netflix right now.
Volume 1 of the final season landed on the streaming platform today, Thursday 3rd July 2025, with the remaining five episodes scheduled to drop in three weeks' time, on Thursday 24th July 2025.
The show was renewed for a second entry way back in November 2022, months after the first episodes dropped, with a statement by Netflix calling it "a continuation of The Sandman world".
Most fans assumed it could take several more seasons to adapt all 10 volumes of the graphic novels, but showrunner Allan Heinberg revealed in January that the second entry would instead serve as an "epic conclusion" to the series.
He explained: "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.
"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."
The creative team appears confident that they have done justice to The Sandman saga in these two seasons, but no doubt there will be spirited debate post-release over whether this was a rushed farewell to the fantastical universe.
The Sandman season 2 cast: New and returning
Tom Sturridge reprises his role of Dream aka Morpheus in The Sandman season 2, alongside a mix of new and returning cast members.
A behind-the-scenes video released in September 2024 confirmed returns for Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death, Mason Alexander Park's Desire and Donna Preston's Despair in season 2.
It followed an announcement that Esmé Creed-Miles (The Doll Factory), Adrian Lester (Renegade Nell) and Barry Sloane (Passenger) had joined the cast as Delirium, Destiny and The Prodigal respectively, members of Dream's godlike family.
In terms of new additions, Steve Coogan will voice Destruction's talking dog Barnabas, while Jack Gleeson (notorious King Joffrey in Game of Thrones) will play a mischief-causing sprite named Puck.
Adding to the cosmic power of The Endless will be another pantheon of gods, comprised of Clive Russell's Odin, Freddie Fox's Loki and Laurence O'Fuarain's Thor – no doubt they will be providing a decidedly different take to Marvel's popular incarnations.
Rounding out the cast is Douglas Booth (The Riot Club) as Cluracan, Indya Moore (Pose) as Wanda, Ruairi O'Connor as Orpheus and Ann Skelly as Nuala.
Here's a round-up of The Sandman season 2's confirmed cast members:
- Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus
- Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne
- Patton Oswalt as the voice of Matthew the Raven
- Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
- Mason Alexander Park as Desire
- Donna Preston as Despair
- Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain
- Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium
- Adrian Lester as Destiny
- Barry Sloane as The Prodigal
- Steve Coogan as Barnabas
- Jack Gleeson as Puck
- Clive Russell as Odin
- Freddie Fox as Loki
- Laurence O'Fuarain as Thor
- Douglas Booth as Cluracan
- Indya Moore as Wanda
- Ruairi O'Connor as Orpheus
- Ann Skelly as Nuala
At the time of the show's debut, Jenna Coleman addressed her possible future in The Sandman, telling RadioTimes.com when season 1 was released that Lady Johanna's introduction is a "seed" for bigger things to come.
Meanwhile, on his character's ambiguous fate, Boyd Holbrook said: "I had a great experience on this. And I think we'd all love to continue The Sandman. It's the universe that just keeps going on and on.
"I believe that The Corinthian is reincarnated at a certain point in time in the comic, so we'll see."
What could happen in The Sandman season 2 plot?
The official synopsis for The Sandman season 2, courtesy of Netflix, reads: "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.
It concludes: "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."
Despite the show's relatively brief two-season run, Netflix is promising that The Sandman season 2 "will tell Dream's story arc in full to its thrilling conclusion".
The Sandman season 2 trailer
In June 2025, Netflix dropped the full trailer for The Sandman season 2, giving a glimpse at the epic fantasy story that awaits viewers in these concluding episodes. Watch here:
Previously, the streamer had dropped a behind-the-scenes promo about the upcoming episodes last year, with a particular focus on adapting a pivotal scene from the comic books. Check it out:
The Sandman is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
