The Sandman Showrunner reveals that Season 3 was a planned possibility, details revealed

The Sandman wrapped up with the final set of episodes for the second season. To the despair of fans, Netflix had previously announced that the show would not be returning for a third season. This means that, except for the bonus episode scheduled for July 31, this is the last we see of this phantasmagorical journey.

Allan Heinberg has previously explained that the Netflix show was originally planned to be a two-season show. This was because there was only so much source material for Dream’s story in Gaiman’s comics. However, in a recent conversation with Variety, he revealed that, given the chance, he would take up another season in the universe that Gaiman has created. He added that he would write for it as long as he possibly could.

Showrunner Allan Heinberg would love to take up another season for Netflix's The Sandman

The Sandman wrapping up after the second season has been the most devastating news for the fans of this fantastical world. The show has been the epitome of complexity, darkness, psychological depth, and imagination. It’s a hard pill to swallow for fans of the Netflix show that this is the last they’ll get to see of these rich visuals and compelling characters.

According to showrunner Heinberg, back in 2022 when Season 1 premiered, the creatives sat down to consider the source—the Gaiman comics. They assessed how much story they had left to tell, which centered on Tom Sturridge’s Dream. So, they were aware that they only had one more season left for Dream and the loyal fans of the show:

"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."

However, this doesn’t mean that Heinberg would not take up this world for another season, given the chance. Heinberg has never shied away from talking about the beauty and complexity of this universe. He explained that there is so much source material in the form of Gaiman’s comics—some of which had no connection to Dream—that he would love to take up and adapt.

In a recent conversation with Variety, he expressed this yet again, explaining how, given the chance, he would write for this universe as long as he possibly could.

"I’m nothing but grateful at this point. If they came back tomorrow and said, ‘Let’s do a Season 3,’ I would do it instantly. I would write this show for as long as they would let me."

He went on to talk about how there are so many facets in The Sandman universe—from funny to romantic to scary. He would love to take them up and explore them creatively to deliver stories that did justice to the imaginary realm.

"This show feels like all TV shows — like you can do anything. You can write about anything in the context of “The Sandman” in funny ways and romantic ways and scary ways. It’s this thing that Neil created to tell all manner of stories."

He even went on to express how difficult it was for him to bid adieu to this imaginary world. He is sure that there isn’t anything else that would offer him the chance to explore as many creative aspects as this show could have:

"So it has been a creative dream for me, and I am very sad to see it go, because I can’t imagine anything else having the range that this show has: imaginary realms and time periods. And this has been an education for me, this show, in every way — as all shows are, but more so this time. And I can’t believe Netflix let us make it."

Heinberg even revealed that he was holding on to some hope while casting Jacob Anderson as the new Dream of the Endless Realm. He wasn’t just looking for an actor who could take up the final episode. He was looking for a star who could shoulder the lead role in case there was a chance for the show to be renewed:

"I also will be honest with you and say I was hoping that– not hoping, but if the numbers were big enough, I was like, “Well, I certainly want to cast an actor with whom I would want to make Season 3 in that role. So he has to be a star. He has to be somebody that the audience is going to want to follow if we if we were to have a Season 3."

Nevertheless, regardless of how much Heinberg, the rest of the cast and crew, or the multitude of fans hoped, the show could not continue beyond the second season. This ultimately marked the end for The Sandman.

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