Why won't there be a Sandman season 3?
Netflix's adaptation is considerably shorter than the source material – and here's why.
The Sandman has finished its run on Netflix with one last bonus episode placing Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Death centre-stage.
The series had a wealth of material to draw on from The Sandman comic book series, which spans 10 volumes and 75 issues, to say nothing of the various spin-offs and prequels that followed.
However, showrunner Allan Heinberg elected to keep the story focused purely on the perspective of Dream (Tom Sturridge), which allowed him to write to a more concise ending after only two seasons.
Recently, the screenwriter has spoken out candidly on why the show came to an earlier-than-expected end, acknowledging that it wasn't a hit on the scale that was needed to justify its hefty price tag.
Read on for more from Heinberg on why there won't be a third season of The Sandman.
Why won't there be a The Sandman season 3?
The Sandman season 3 is not going ahead as viewership of the show was not strong enough to warrant the enormous financial investment required to produce any additional episodes.
In the wake of the second season's premiere, showrunner Allan Heinberg admitted that himself and The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman had originally envisioned a more comprehensive adaptation of the 10-volume source material.
However, these plans were condensed to focusing solely on the character of Dream (as played by Tom Sturridge) as it became apparent that season 2 was likely to be the end of the line for the ambitious series.
"It's not an inexpensive show to make," explained Heinberg (via The Hollywood Reporter).
"If we had a viewership that really demanded it and it made financial sense for Netflix, I could happily go on writing Sandman forever because you can write about anything.
"You can tell any kind of story in any genre, and you can do it intelligently, elegantly and passionately."
Alas, The Sandman never quite reached the immense levels of popularity enjoyed by Netflix juggernauts Stranger Things, Wednesday and Squid Game, which Heinberg claims would have had execs "knocking on our doors" asking for more.
"The Sandman's appeal is a bit more limited than those shows," the screenwriter concluded. "It's not for everyone. It's a miracle that they allowed us to make it in the first place, because it is so weird."
The decision to end The Sandman with season 2 is not related to allegations against author and executive producer Neil Gaiman, which became public as filming on the final episodes was nearing completion and 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."
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.
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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.
