The Sandman star Tom Sturridge recently explained how Hob Gadling (Ferdinand Kingsley) changed Dream in the Netflix fantasy-drama series.
Sturridge discussed the pair's centuries-spanning friendship during a Q&A panel at Dallas Fan Festival 2022. "It's one of my favorite parts of the story," he said. "I think in that episode, and in that section of the graphic novels, you're right, [Dream] does become more human. I think that what his sister teaches him is the profundity of what an individual existence is, and how you can't understand it unless you look at it and bear witness to it. And what his relationship with Hob is, is, 'Okay, I'm going to watch now, I'm going to follow one person closely for an extraordinary period of time, and know them.' And when we know people and understand them, it's the first step toward loving them. And I think that's an unusual thing for him, to begin to love."
The Dream/Hob Gadling dynamic is one of the most popular aspects of The Sandman's first season, with some fans even reading a romantic subtext into the relationship. Writer Vanessa Benton addressed the "Dreamling" pairing in a recent interview, saying that while a romance between the two characters wasn't intentionally implied, it's likely the product of the show's diverse writers' room. "The 'Dreamling' romance wasn’t baked in," Benson said. "However, you have a ton of queer people in the writer’s room, you have a gay man as a showrunner, and you have actors who have chemistry."
Neil Gaiman Praises The Sandman's Hob Gadling
Despite the popularity of the "Dreamling" ship, Dream and Hob's relationship remains platonic throughout their scenes together in The Sandman Season 1, Episode 6, "The Sound of Her Wings." This is in keeping with the canon of the show's DC Comics source material, in which the pair are only ever depicted as friends. The Sandman co-creator Neil Gaiman previously commented on how faithfully Episode 6 recreated the comics, especially Kingsley's performance as Gadling, which perfectly matched how he originally imagined the character.
Kingsley's portrayal of Gadling is notable for including the unsavory aspects of Hob's past, including his participation in the slave trade. Kingsley later mused on whether audiences could (or should) forgive Gadling for his appalling behavior, admitting it's not something he has to wrestle with as an actor. "It's not my job to offer judgment on the character I'm playing, I have to play him as you see him, and it's our job as an audience to watch him go, 'Do I deserve another shot at life?'" Kingsley said.
The Sandman Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: DFF 2020 via YouTube