Neil Gaiman Bluntly Responds To Sandman Casting Backlash

Neil Gaiman has responded to harsh criticisms over casting selections in The Sandman. Primarily based on Gaiman’s graphic novels of the identical title, The Sandman is a tv adaptation that debuted completely on Netflix earlier this yr. After a protracted growth cycle noticed it go from a movie to a present, The Sandman solid started to develop all through 2020 and 2021, with some casting choices inflicting hateful backlash, specifically the castings of Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Mason Alexander Park. Howell-Baptiste, a Black actress, was the recipient of racist backlash for taking part in the position of Dying, who was depicted as a white girl within the unique graphic novels, whereas, Park, a nonbinary actor, acquired homophobic backlash for being solid as Need. Some viewers had been merely embittered over the casting of queer and BIPOC actors, whereas others noticed it as one other try by Netflix to appease audiences by together with token minority actors.

In an interview with Inverse, Gaiman responds bluntly to The Sandman‘s casting backlash. Gaiman says that those that thought the sequence was minorities with a purpose to be “woke” clearly by no means learn the unique comics, as many characters within the graphic novels are brazenly queer, whereas additionally saying that true followers of the comics know that the Countless, comparable to Dying, haven’t got one set look, however somewhat seem in another way to completely different folks. Learn Gaiman’s full remark beneath:

“Oh, and infrequently, you get folks shouting at us for having made up all of those homosexual characters who weren’t within the comics, after which we’d go ‘Have you ever learn the comics?’ They usually’d go ‘No.’ And we’d go, ‘They had been homosexual within the comics.’ They usually’d go ‘You’re simply woke and no person goes to look at your horrible present.’ After which we went #1 on the planet for 4 weeks. They usually went ‘It’s all bots! We hate you. You’re woke.’ It’s a bizarre silliness. These complainers don’t like homosexual folks, they don’t like Black folks, they usually don’t like ladies. And if you happen to have a look at their profiles, they don’t like vaccines, they don’t like Democrats, they usually’re not huge on voting.”

Associated: Sandman: Netflix’s ‘Johanna’ Constantine Confusion & Backlash Defined

How Sandman Overcame Poisonous Critiques To Change into A Hit

As Gaiman factors out, The Sandman grew to become a large success, with the present being ranked at No. 1 globally on Netflix solely three days after its launch. By September 18, simply over a month after the present premiered, the sequence had garnered over 393.14 million hours watched internationally, and stayed because the No. 1 watched English-language TV present on Netflix for a number of weeks. Regardless of racist and homophobic backlash to the casting selections, many different viewers applauded The Sandman for being brazenly numerous – maybe much more numerous than the unique graphic novel sequence.

Because the present’s casting was introduced, Gaiman has consistently been supportive of the sequence’ casting selections, even as soon as tweeting that he provides “zero f**ks about individuals who do not perceive/ have not learn Sandman whining a couple of non-binary Need or that Dying is not white sufficient.” Gaiman has in a short time been fast to name out not solely followers who have not learn The Sandman comics for his or her hateful feedback, but additionally those that do not perceive why a Black Dying or a nonbinary Need make full sense within the sequence. Dying, like Dream, seems in another way to completely different folks, and may subsequently appear like anybody; Need is referred to by they/them pronouns within the graphic novels as properly, making their display screen debut as nonbinary solely in-line with Gaiman’s unique work.

Although there have at all times been, and can at all times be, poisonous critiques from viewers, that is not stopping The Sandman‘s success. Earlier this month, it was lastly confirmed that the sequence had been renewed for extra episodes, and in October, Jenna Coleman confirmed that there’s the potential for her character, Johanna Constantine, to get a by-product of her personal. Whereas receiving hateful backlash is not one thing any actor or creator would wish to take care of, each Gaiman and the remainder of The Sandman‘s solid have been nothing however supportive of their castmates, signaling that there are numerous extra nice successes available with the present.

Subsequent: Explaining Need’s Total Plan In The SandmanSupply: Inverse