The Sandman: Neil Gaiman Shares Support for Johanna Constantine Spinoff

By Jamie Lovett

Netflix's The Sandman debuted this week and it seems are taking a liking to Jenna Coleman's performance as Johanna Constantine. Johanna fills the role played by John Constantine in the comics, John being one of several DC Comics characters cut from the television adaptation. Like John, Johanna is capable of casting spells and performing exorcisms but is haunted by nightmares from her past. It takes a visit from Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) to exorcise Johanna's personal demons. Among the fans watching The Sandman on Netflix, one tweeted at Gaiman to say they think a Johanna-focused spinoff would be "cool." Gaiman retweeted and added "You are not alone in this thought," suggesting he shares similar feelings.

There were rumors that Coleman's Johanna took John's place in the Netflix series because J.J. Abrams is developing a Constantine series for HBO Max (though who knows where that stands after the events of the past few days regarding the streaming service). However, there is a Johanna in The Sandman comics, one of John's ancestors. Gaiman previously admitted that the Constantine rights are complicated, but said that having the same person play both the present-day Constantine and their antecedent was always part of the plan for the television show.

"The rights situation with John is certainly circumscribed right now," Gaiman tweeted. "But the plan to have Lady Johanna and Joanna be in the story and played by the same person was there from the start. It seemed tidier. So it worked out."

Those rights issues may also prevent a Coleman-led Constantine spinoff from materializing on Netflix, should the streaming service even desire one. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, The Sandman Season 1 is streaming now on Netflix and it's quite good, as ComicBook.com's review suggests:

"[T]he adaptation does justice to the source material series, serving as a 21st-century update to the long-revered epic that will appeal to longtime fans as a new way to engage with it while also bringing that story to an entirely new audience. While purists may bemoan some of the changes, they ultimately make for a more cohesive viewing experience that still allows the individual short stories within the grander saga the room needed for viewers to fully appreciate them. The Sandman team has taken Dream's comics and crafted a worthy adaptation of a story that is, after all, about how we take the stuff of dreams and apply it to our lives, our art, and our relationships. And after seeing that tease at the end of Season 1, viewers will almost certainly be dreaming of what comes next."

The Sandman is streaming now on Netflix. Its writers are already working on a second season, though Netflix hasn't announced a renewal yet.

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