Its a difficult situation in the Sandman fandom where there have been comments admonishing or even making accusations of racism towards fans who struggle to accept Daniel as the new Dream.
Let me be very clear. They could have cast the most amazing most popular actor in the world as Daniel (which they kinda did lbr), but even if they had Tom Sturridge in a white wig play Daniel, I still would not have accepted him as Dream. This is nothing to do with the actor. Jacob Anderson is a phenomenal actor who certainly makes it very difficult NOT to accept Daniel as he plays him with such a beautiful innocence that he makes the character extremely compelling.
My issue has nothing to do with casting and everything to do with show writing and the treatment of Morpheus that lead him to already be the Dream that was needed, making Daniel a bit redundant to the story. The problem is that in the comic, Morpheus dies because he can no longer be Dream. He is too wrapped up in grief and loss and pain to be the Dream of the Endless the world needs. Daniel therefore becomes a better Dream. A Dream who is forgiving, understanding, and who isn't weighed down by grief and depression. (Yes i know this message is vile and cruel and abhorrent and wrong but hey that's the Sandman comic for you!)
The show pussyfooted around Morpheus's darker parts, softened him, and changed him so much that he was already the Dream the universe needed. He was forgiving, he apologised constantly, he released Alex Burgess FFS. They changed his story into one of love and sacrifice and had him work through his trauma and come to terms with his grief AND THEN THEY KILLED HIM ANYWAY.
So Daniel in the show comes across instead as this naive lost puppy who smiles more and seems more happy because ya know he's not grieving the child he had to kill, and the show claims that THAT is what was needed?
Well that's bullshit and an insult to the original dark and twisted story, whilst also making the show story meaningless cruel and a bit stupid.
Jacob Anderson is a fantastic actor, and would make a fantastic successor Dream in a universe where Morpheus survived and was able to hand over the kingdom by choice and with care and love. He does a brilliant job in a story that is flawed, shitty, and completely against him.
Because of those reasons, he won't ever be MY Dream. That doesn't mean he isn't a good Dream, but his transformation and becoming Dream is redundant in this story.
So yeah people might be angry and sad and upset and saying "Daniel isn't Dream! Bring back Morpheus!". It's not racism ffs. It's grief and anger at a story that no longer made sense. It's not an insult to a fantastic actor who took on a role that was always going to be difficult for fans to handle even if that role was played by Tom Sturridge in a white wig.
And yeah okay maybe there is some racism and bad faith complaining out there, that's unfortunately been the case in all fandoms for all shows any time a black actor is cast. I'm not denying that. But the majority of us are grieving and even in our grief can say the casting was superb, but even so, not my Dream.
Morpheus in this story should have lived. They still could have had Daniel become the new Dream, but it would be a hell of a lot easier for most people to accept, if Morpheus had lived as well.
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