Neil Gaiman admits that Despair's portrayal in Netflix's The Sandman missed the mark. Based on Gaiman's comic series of the same name, The Sandman was adapted into a Netflix television series in August 2022. The series was praised by critics and fans alike, and quickly became one of Netflix's Top 10 titles for several weeks after its release, currently holding the title of eighth most-watching English language series on Netflix for 2022.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT In a post to his Tumblr, Gaiman has addressed Despair's portrayal in the Netflix show. Responding to a fan question who brought up that Despair is portrayed as a plus-sized woman who is seen as "frumpy, depressed and not really loved by anyone," Gaiman admits that the series "missed what we were aiming for in Sandman Season 1.
Mostly, what I hope is that the next time you see Despair on the screen you won’t think. of her as frumpy, depressed and unloved. She isn’t in the comics, and I think we missed what we were aiming for in Sandman Season 1.Everything We Know About New The Sandman Episodes Gaiman was also asked about more plus-sized representation in The Sandman, to which Gaiman responded that yes, there will be more plus-sized actors cast in the future.
While there is currently no expected release date for future episodes of The Sandman, Desire actor Mason Alexander Park confirmed in January that filming will begin on the new The Sandman episodes this Summer. Though The Sandman was renewed, Netflix is not calling these episodes season 2, but rather simply 'new episodes.
Although Despair's appearance in The Sandman was brief, her portrayal is important to consider, as fans have pointed out. However, it's encouraging that Gaiman has admitted Despair's characterization missed the mark, and that she will be portrayed differently in future episodes of The Sandman.