‘The Sandman’ star reveals Neil Gaiman is fully on board for a spinoff

We’re still waiting for Netflix to actually commission a second season, but it sounds like the cast and crew of The Sandman might already have their hearts set on a spinoff, too. There were so many standout guest characters in the first run of the streamer’s acclaimed adaptation of the seminal Vertigo comic book series, but one of the most memorable was certainly Johanna Constantine, the gender-flipped version of DC’s beloved occult detective.

Jenna Coleman was terrific in the role, completely making the familiar character her own, so it’s no surprise that fans quickly started demanding a Constantine spinoff show to continue Jo’s adventures hunting down demons. Well, the good news is that Coleman has now revealed that creator/showrunner Neil Gaiman is all over the idea and is “really behind” making a standalone vehicle for Ms. Constantine.

As the former Doctor Who actress told The Hollywood Reporter:

“I have, from Neil himself! One of the reasons that I wanted to do it was that the character felt so formed, and what was really thoughtful of Neil and Allan [Heinberg] is that they sent the script over to me, but they didn’t tell me who the character was. So I didn’t know it was Constantine when I read it. So I formed my own thoughts about who this person was without having any preconceptions of Constantine before, which was really smart. But yeah, Neil filled me in.”

What was remarkable about Coleman’s Constantine was just how authentic to the original character she was, with the writing and the star’s performance nailing their attitude and tragic edge. In fact, it’s a whole lot more reverent a depiction of Constantine than Keanu Reeves’ version, even though he’s the one who’s getting a belated movie sequel. Still, with Constantine-mania back in the air, maybe that will only increase the chances of Coleman getting her own show.

First of all, though, we need confirmation that The Sandman universe is set to continue in any form over at Netflix. Gaiman has been extremely honest with fans over the ins and outs of the hold-up on a season 2 renewal, but we can all agree it would be a nightmare if more episodes weren’t given the greenlight. As it is, the 11-part first season is available to stream now.