McAvoy’s brilliant performance as Dream in Audible’s adaptation of The Sandman left many wondering why he didn’t take part in the Netflix adaptation as well.
For many long-time lovers of The Sandman series, James McAvoy was the perfect actor for the role of Dream in the upcoming Netflix adaptation, so it’s curious why he wasn’t cast. McAvoy’s story with adaptations of fantasy novels including His dark materials, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Y IT’S, as well as his familiarity with the works of The Sandman the creator, Neil Gaiman, wants to say that he would have been perfect for the role. However, the Netflix series stars Tom Sturridge as the Sandman Morpheus character, Dream of the Eternalleaving many wondering why McAvoy was not chosen.
McAvoy first worked on a Gaiman story in the 2013 six-part radio drama, never anywhere where McAvoy played the title role of Richard Mayhew. Seven years later he was cast as the lead in another Gaiman adaptation, this time to play Dream in Audible’s adaptation of The Sandman. Other star cast members included Thor actress Kat Dennings as Death and good omens actor Michael Sheen as Lucifer. The first part of the audiobook was so successful that it became the best-selling Audible Original production in the company’s history. Part Two was released with equal success and Part 3 is expected to be released soon.
After McAvoy’s standout performance as Dream in the audiobook, it came as a surprise when his name didn’t even appear to be in the running for the role on Netflix. The Sandman. The most likely reason McAvoy was not cast is because he was too busy. filming for The Sandman began in mid-2020, when filming for His dark materials season 2, in which McAvoy plays the lead role of Lord Asriel, would still have been in the works. Not to mention that, along with other commitments, McAvoy was probably still recording his part as Morpheus in the second and third parts of the Audible production. If he had been cast in the Netflix series, he would have had to deliver two versions of the same character at once, in the studio and on screen.
Why Tom Sturridge was the right choice for Dream
Although Sturridge has a solid list of acting credits, he recently appeared opposite Jake Gyllenhaal on Netflix. velvet circular saw, is still not as big a star as McAvoy, which works in his favor for this role. the lots of stories in The Sandman comic books it means the Netflix adaptation has the potential to run for many seasons, and McAvoy may not have been able to make such a long-term commitment. Also, it will be interesting to see what Sturridge brings to such a fantastic role, as he appears most often in adaptations of classics and historical dramas. Sturridge’s appearance in the trailer already shows how well he fits into the dreamlike aesthetic, as if he’s stepped straight out of the comic book pages. Despite his stellar acting chops, McAvoy would have found it difficult to convincingly portray the tall, lanky character of Morpheus.
In the end, it was a smart move not to cast McAvoy as Dream again because audiences will now be able to see a whole new interpretation of the character on Netflix. The Sandman Serie. Just as McAvoy left his mark on Morpheus in the audiobook, Sturridge now has room to do the same in the Netflix series. But for those still hoping to see McAvoy play a Gaiman role on screen one day, it’s not impossible. Neil Gaiman is a regularly adapted author of recent years and considering that McAvoy clearly enjoys working with Gaiman’s stories, it’s not unlikely that audiences will see the two together again one day.
The Sandman Season 1 premieres August 5 on Netflix.
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