Neil Gaiman Reacts to the Backlash Against Netflix’s “Sandman” Show Lucifer Casting

The uproar surrounding the casting of Lucifer in Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel series “The Sandman” has prompted a response from the author. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman follows Dream, the personification of dreams, as he strives to retrieve his lost equipment after decades of incarceration by a mortal wizard. Dream is played by Tom Sturridge, and the series also features Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. The Sandman is now scheduled to premiere on Netflix later this year.

While many people are delighted to see Neil Gaiman’s story adapted on the screen, some have criticized Christie’s casting as Lucifer. Christie isn’t the first actor to play the ruler of Hell, which Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg co-created. The part was first performed by Peter Stormare in the 2005 film Constantine, and then by Tom Ellis in the blockbuster Netflix series Lucifer. While some fans were disappointed that Ellis was not returning to reprise his fan-favorite role in Netflix’s Sandman series, others were outraged that the part of Lucifer is being played by a woman.

Gaiman has turned to Twitter to defend Christie’s casting and answer concerns after receiving a lot of anger on social media. After one Twitter user said Christie was “not my Lucifer,” Gaiman quickly responded, “not my problem.” After someone speculated that Netflix must have paid Gaiman a large sum of money to “alter” Lucifer from the source material and hire a female actor in the role, Gaiman responded by asking how the character had changed. Below are the author’s tweets:

Gaiman’s opinions on Christie’s casting carry a lot of weight in this issue because he created the character Lucifer. Furthermore, the author’s reaction is accurate to the source material. Lucifer is depicted as largely androgynous in the original Sandman graphic novel series, and his gender is never an issue in the broader plot. Although some are trying to shift their vision of the character to Christie’s portrayal, as Gaiman has pointed out, none of the character’s dialogue has been modified in Netflix’s adaptation. However, Christie’s casting has been praised by both fans of the original Sandman graphic novels and newbies to the franchise.

Gaiman certainly believes in and is proud of Christie’s Lucifer, as evidenced by his justification of the show’s casting decision. While many past Sandman adaptations have portrayed the character as a man, the Game of Thrones actress has shown to be a forceful and dynamic performer, and it will be fascinating to see how she portrays Gaiman’s renowned ruler of Hell. When “The Sandman” is finally aired on Netflix, audiences will be able to judge for themselves how Christie’s version compares to the others.

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