Neil Gaiman explained why Tom Ellis, who played the titular character in Lucifer, isn't playing the Lord of Hell in Netflix's The Sandman.

Responding to a question on Twitter, the beloved author stated that despite Ellis's character being "inspired by the Lucifer in Sandman," he is so far away from the source material "by the end of LUCIFER, that it's easier on everyone to go back to the version in the comics. And this way you don't know what our Lucifer is going to do."

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Lucifer ran for six seasons between January 2016 and September 2021, first on Fox and then on Netflix. The story follows Lucifer as he abandons Hell, opens a nightclub in Los Angeles, CA, and becomes a consultant for the LAPD. In contrast, Gaiman's Sandman comics focus on Morpheus, the personification of dreams, who endeavors to reclaim his realm after being trapped on Earth. Lucifer features throughout the narrative as an important reoccurring character.

Gwendoline Christie, who is best known for portraying Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones, is bringing the Lord of Hell to life in the Netflix adaptation. Her casting received substantial online backlash and Gaiman has been quick to defend his choice. When one commentator called the writer a hypocrite, arguing that the writer had previously said that he disliked when characters are altered in adaptations, Gaiman immediately shut them down. "How exactly has the character changed? Is it the penis? It’s okay. Lucifer in the comics didn’t have a penis, and I don’t believe Gwendoline Christie has one either," wrote Gaiman.

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Christie's Lucifer isn't the only casting choice for The Sandman that has enraged the parts of the internet and Gaiman has made it clear that he has had it with the racist and sexist rhetoric. "I give zero fucks about people who don't understand/ haven't read Sandman whining about a non-binary Desire or that Death isn't white enough," he stated. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, a Black woman, is playing Death and Mason Alexander Park, a non-binary actor, is portraying Desire.

Similarly, when multiple individuals took to social media to decry the Netflix show for its "woke" sensibilities, the writer responded, stating "Sandman went woke in 1988, and it hasn't gone broke yet." Gaiman went on to explain how the opposite has happened, stating that "time has caught up" with his story's progressive themes.

While a release date hasn't been set for The Sandman, the series is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2022.

Source: Twitter