Set photos from Netflix’s The Sandman series show a possible first look at the costume worn by Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s Death. The upcoming Netflix drama is based on Neil Gaiman’s best-selling DC graphic novel series, which ran from 1989-1996. The adaptation will take a modern approach to the story of Morpheus Aka Dream, the titular Sandman. The 11-episode series will see Dream escape captivity after being imprisoned for 105 years and attempt to restore order to his kingdom of the Dreaming.
Filming for the series was originally supposed to begin in May of last year. After months of COVID-related production delays, Gaiman confirmed filming started in the U.K. last October. However, many details surrounding the show have been kept under wraps. Netflix finally announced a slew of cast members for Sandman, including Tom Sturridge as Dream, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Boyd Holdbrook as Corinthian, Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Good Place) as Death. The latter sparked some controversy online from people upset that the casting of a black actress goes against Death’s depiction as a pale-skinned Goth girl in the comics. Gaiman has since defended casting decisions citing his passion for The Sandman while dismissing comments made by those who don’t understand or haven’t read/seen the series.
A new set photo via Stef_daydreamer on Twitter may reveal our first look at Howell-Baptiste’s Death of the Endless. Many fans have taken photos of the production in London, some of which show Howell-Baptiste in a black outfit aligning with her character’s Gothic ensemble from the comics. Sturridge is also pictured as Dream. Check it out below.
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Of course, the outfit Howell-Baptiste is wearing may only be part of Death’s costume, but it’s pretty comparable to her comic-book counterpart. Regardless, Gaiman has successfully translated many of his properties to film and TV. The most recent of which, Good Omens, not only proved faithful to its source material but moved beyond it. As The Sandman is already a more contemporary take on its source material, it only makes sense for the cast to morph accordingly.
Whatever Howell-Baptiste ends up wearing in The Sandman, it’ll most likely please fans of the comic book series. General responses to the casting choices have been positive and other Gaiman properties like Good Omens and American Gods (season 1 at least) have found success altering certain aspects of their characters. There have been several past attempts at a live-action Sandman adaptation; however, none were fully backed by Gaiman. Gaiman is a co-creator on the series alongside writer David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), who is executive producing the series and co-writing the pilot with Allan Heinberg (Wonder Woman).
