Who Is Dream in The Sandman? Meet Tom Sturridge’s Character

Gaiman’s amazing graphic novel series, The Sandman, gained a ton of fans since its debut back in the late 1980s, and they have been itching for the day they might see it brought to life on screen for many years. Dream is one of the most iconic characters within the story, and plenty of people are now wondering who Dream will be in The Sandman on Netflix.

Dream, also known as Morpheus in The Sandman, is a member of the seven Endless and the ruler of the Dreaming, making him an integral character in the story. Tom Sturridge, most well-known for his role as Carl from Pirate Radio, will be playing Dream in The Sandman Netflix adaptation.

There’s been a ton of hype surrounding the premiere of The Sandman, and many people are eager to know more about each of the characters as soon as possible – as well as the talented professionals that will be playing them. Stick around to find out everything you need to know about Tom Surridge’s role in The Sandman so far – including snippets from interviews with the cast, the show’s creators, Gaiman, and even sneak peeks of Dream on screen!

The Sandman

Neil Gaiman is the original mastermind behind The Sandman, which was a comic book series that started out in the late 1980s and ran until the 1990s. There is a ton of mythology throughout the storyline, leaving tons of plot twists and interesting characters for The Sandman fans to keep track of.

The Sandman will be premiering on August 5th in the United States as well as the United Kingdom, and it’s being dubbed as one of the most highly anticipated Netflix shows in recent times. In fact, this series might just be one of the biggest shows in Netflix’s entire history.

Netflix has stated that the adaptation of The Sandman that will be seen on screen is set to span 10 The Sandman comic books published between 1989 and 1996. The entire plot features a massive ensemble cast and a unique blend of powerful characters from all backgrounds – including angels, demons, wizards, superheroes, fairies, as well as playwrights.

Gaiman, the creator of the classic graphic novel series, The Sandman, was a major part of the Netflix adaptation’s entire creation process, as there was an understandable level of caution around the idea. It’s always possible for adaptations of graphic novels to be a shot in the dark – but, at the same time, there are ways to make sure it’ll be a slam-dunk.

One of the massive elements that Gaiman wanted to be involved in is The Sandman’s casting since the actors and actresses chosen for the roles in The Sandman needed to be just right. He has since praised the casting selection and shows huge support for the entire venture, believing that the team is truly bringing his work to life.

Who Is Dream? (Morpheus aka The Sandman)

Dream, also known as Morpheus in The Sandman, is a member of the seven Endless which is a family of physical manifestations of various aspects of the universe. In addition, he is also the ruler of the Dreaming. According to Netflix:

“All of them come into the orbit of the titular character, also known as Morpheus or Dream…Netflix’s highly faithful adaptation of the series follows the king of dreams and nightmares as he attempts to set things right after being held captive for 105 years.”

This character embodies the actual Sandman in the story, making him incredibly important for just about everything that’s set to occur. He was captured through a ritual and was held captive for over a whole century, as occultists sought to imprison his sister, Death.

When he finally gets his freedom back he finds that things are far different from what he remembered. His kingdom is in chaos, and he will need to search for means to revive his former glory and reign – while simultaneously attempting to recover his own powers.

Tom Sturridge as Dream In The Sandman

English actor Tom Sturridge is set to fill the role of Dream in The Sandman. He is most well-known for his role as Carl from Pirate Radio after which he played Jake in Sweetbitter, while his most recent role was in Irma Vep as Eamonn.

But, he has quite a few accolades under his belt already. He was nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in a play as a result of his roles in the Broadway shows Orphans and Sea Wall/A Life.

He now spends his time filling more classic roles on some of Netflix’s other shows as well, taking part in Effie Gray, a Victorian British romance, as well as a thriller piece named Velvet Buzzsaw. The actor apparently informed Den Geek that the entire idea was pretty daunting, especially considering how well-loved the character is by fans.

However, Sturridge is actually a huge and long-time fan of Gaiman’s work, and he has also shown massive excitement towards the role, stating that:

“The Dreaming is Middle Earth, Narnia, our favorite parts of Hogwarts — everything that I’ve cared about in fantasy in literature rolled into one.”

A newly released photo from Netflix’s series adaptation gave us a great look at how Sturridge looks in his Dream getup, originally shared by Entertainment Weekly as part of an interview with the actor. As seen in the image below thanks to CBR, he sports a black cloak-like ensemble that sums up Dream’s overall aesthetic pretty well – topped off with his iconic helmet which also serves as one of his three totems of power.

Tom has been super modest about it, which is always a loveable trait that we enjoy seeing in cast members – especially those who play such complex characters! He made the following statement concerning the casting process for Dream:

“It was entirely necessary, because this is a character who is so utterly beloved — by me more than anyone. That requires you to spend time with a human being to discover if they can live up to the dream you have of who he is… I think The Sandman pervades culture. Even the name Morpheus, King of Dreams, kind of haunted me in my youth.”

While Tom Sturridge has shown a mixture of awe and excitement towards the role (and definitely a strong connection to the character in general), there are quite a few professionals within the industry that were not surprised to see him chosen for this iconic spot. In fact, Gaiman himself stated the following about Tom Sturridge filling Dream’s shoes in the production:

“I think I have personally seen 1,500 Morpheus auditions. I hesitate to imagine how many [casting director] Lucinda Syson and her team have seen. Having watched all those other auditions, we were able to go to Netflix and say, ‘It’s Tom. We know it’s Tom.'”

This release has been surrounded by excitement and anticipation ever since The Sandman was teased, and fans are finally going to witness Gaiman’s creation brought to life. While there are still plenty of questions, a healthy level of mystery is always a great way to keep the excitement going – either way, it really seems like The Sandman on Netflix is going to be a hit!