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Netflix is already expanding the Sandman Universe with Dead Boy Detectives

The new show, based on Sandman spin-off characters from DC's comics, launches April 25

Published on Wed Apr 03 2024

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Fans of Netflix’s Sandman still have a while before the second season of the streamer’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s beloved comic book series arrives — it’s still in production as you read these words — but there’s no need to despair: the first spin-off from the fan-favorite show is about to arrive… and it features a cameo from everyone’s favorite member of the Endless, too. (No, not Dream.)

The first trailer for Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives has been released, introducing Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), the dead boys of the series’ title — they’re ghosts, best friends, and two wannabe supernatural private dicks prepared to solve whatever case comes their way, no matter how big… as long as they can hide from Death herself (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) in the process.

The characters first appeared in DC’s Sandman comic, created by Neil Gaiman and artist Matt Wagner, before being spun off into their own series years later; they’ve also previously appeared on-screen — albeit in a different reality, and played by different actors — in Max’s Doom Patrol series. This version of the team is explicitly tied to Netflix’s Sandman canon, as might appear obvious from Howell-Baptiste’s appearance; Netflix even describes it as being “a new addition to The Sandman Universe for Netflix,” suggesting that further spin-offs might even be possible.

Watch the trailer for Dead Boy Detectives below.

The show co-stars Kassius Nelson, Yuyu Kitamura, Jenn Lyon, Briana Cuoco, Lukas Gage, David Iacono, and Ruth Connell. Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant, Supernatural) and Beth Schwartz (Sweet Tooth, Arrow) are the series’ co-showrunners, with Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, You), Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol, Supernatural), and Sarah Schechter (Riverdale, You) serving as executive producers.

Dead Boy Detectives debuts on Netflix April 25.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.