‘The Sandman’ star explains what the Endless are

Going into The Sandman without context can be quite a peculiar experience, as not even a fleshed-out premise can prepare you for the influences that have shaped Neil Gaiman’s highly acclaimed narrative in the original comic book series.

When it comes to the source material, the story only asks you to trust it and embark on a journey unlike any other, but the unspoken principle of hype in the entertainment industry — especially amid today’s content frenzy — dictates the necessity for trailers and other such promotional content to compel audiences to invest their time and energy into a new story.

As such, if you’re still having trouble grasping what The Sandman is really about, actor Tom Sturridge is here to tell you who his main character, Dream, is and what makes him a part of the Endless.

“The Endless are a mysterious collection of beings, seven siblings, the children of the cosmic entities Night and Time. They’re the anthropomorphic embodiment of certain forces. Powerful human forces. In order of age, there’s Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. And what’s amazing about them and what I love about them is that despite this kind of extraordinary fantastical description they are like a normal family in that they’re riddled with dysfunction and it’s that dysfunction that propels our story and our narrative.”

It looks like the star of the hour has really done his homework on Gaiman lore, so fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their favorite titular character is in safe hands. Sturridge revealed this as part of The Sandman panel during Netflix’s Geeked Week, which you can watch in its entirety below.

Sandman, Morpheus, or Dream is the name of the character around whom the entire story is centered. After a wizard traps Dream through an occult ritual, its ramifications change the world and influence the other Endless, brothers to Dream. After 105 years, Morpheus finally escapes his imprisonment and returns to his kingdom of Dreaming, only to find it in tatters. He then vows to put everything right, which is where the narrative starts to truly take off.

The Sandman is set to premiere on Aug. 5.