Netflix's series The Sandman is hailed as one of its best new shows of 2022. Based on the iconic comic book series by Neil Gaiman, the series follows the journey of Morpheus, the ruler of Dreams and Nightmares, as he comes into contact with humans and searches for his stolen tools of power.
While the series takes great care to follow the comic books as closely as possible, unlike other fantasy adaptations, it still changes some things as opposed to the comics. Although these differences have no major impact on the overall quality of the show, it's still interesting to see what The Sandman Netflix show changed from the comics.
1 The Show's Not Connected To The DC Universe
In the comics, The Sandman is a part of the DC universe, even though it seems to stand separately for the most part. It still makes time for crossovers between Morpheus and established DC characters. Other than John Constantine, who helps Morpheus recover his pouch, in the first book Preludes and Nocturnes, Morpheus encounters the Martian Manhunter, one of the most prominent Justice League members.
By leaving this character out, Netflix's The Sandman stands on its own, and it's likely it will continue to leave out certain DC characters or replace them with others. Whether the fans can hope for The Sandman cameos in different DC shows like Tom Ellis' Lucifer Morningstar made in the Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths remains to be seen, but that doesn't appear probable at the moment.
2 Corinthian Makes An Early Appearance
Based solely on the show, it might seem that Corinthian is one of the main characters in the comics. However, that's not quite the case. While he does play an important part in them later on, he doesn't appear in the first volume that The Sandman is adapting. Instead, he only shows up in The Doll's House story.
If the show followed the comics to the letter, Corinthian wouldn't be in the first half of the first season. Considering actor Boyd Holbrook's performance as the villainous Nightmare and Corinthian's popularity among the show's fans, less Corinthian would likely make Netflix's The Sandman less successful.
3 Roderick Burgess' Background And Death
Played by Charles Dance, Roderick Burgess is one of the best and most prominent villains in The Sandman - despite appearing only in the first episode. He's the man responsible for Morpheus' capture, the theft of his tools, and the impact it has on the entire world. However, while Roderick fulfills the same function in the show and in the comics, the show changes details about him.
In the show, Roderick wishes to capture Death in order to bring back his dead son while his other son, Alex, is helping him. He dies after a violent confrontation with Alex later on. The comics, on the other hand, have Alex as Roderick's only son. His main motivation in them isn't grief but a thirst for power and immortality. That makes the fact that the captured Morpheus watches Roderick die of old age right in from of his glass prison even more ironic.
4 Morpheus' Decades-Long Capture
After being summoned by the ritual performed by Roderick Burgess, Morpheus ends his prisoner for decades, which leads to people falling asleep and not waking up or not sleeping well. The consequences that Morpheus' capture has on the rest of the world are severe both in the comics and in the TV show. What changes, though, is how long exactly Morpheus is captured.
In the show, it's well over a century before he breaks free from his prison thanks to Alex's partner Paul smudging the magic circle keeping Morpheus inside. In the comics, Morpheus frees himself after around 70 years, three decades earlier than he does in the show. That coincides with the first volume's release as it was originally published in January 1989. The show, on the other hand, chooses to move Morpheus' adventure into the current days, not the late 1980s.
5 The Characters' Gender And Looks
One of the changes that doesn't have any impact whatsoever on the quality of the show but which the viewers were still quick to point out is how the characters look and what their genders are. The Sandman comics have always been more progressive than other comics of the era, and the show is free in portraying the characters the way it wants, based on which actor was the best choice for the part.
As a result, it features Lucienne, the librarian, instead of a male version of the same character, or Johanna Constantine instead of John Constantine even though, in the comics, it's John who helps Morpheus recover his sand pouch, not Johanna. Morpheus himself underwent a slight appearance change too - his eyes are black and star-like in the comics, while Tom Sturridge has blue eyes. Other characters whose appearance is different from the comics include Rose Walker and Dream's older sister, Death.