The upcoming Neil Gaiman series Dead Boy Detectives will officially be a part of the Sandman television universe. Following Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland, characters that first appeared in Gaiman’s comic The Sandman volume 25, Dead Boy Detectives follows the two recently-deceased boys as they solve paranormal crimes. Edwin and Charles made their first television appearance in Doom Patrol season 3, but the Dead Boy Detectives series will star different actors in the roles.
In a tweet from Gaiman, the author has confirmed that Dead Boy Detectives will take place in The Sandman‘s television universe.
This post was in response to a fan asking whether the series would be a part of The Sandman universe, the Doom Patrol universe, or in a timeline of its own.
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While HBO Max initially ordered the series in September 2021, it was confirmed in February that it has moved to Netflix, as Dead Boy Detectives would have conflicted with James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new plans for the DC Universe. Production on the series officially concluded on April 18, according to showrunner and Doom Patrol writer Steve Yockey, and Gaiman has expressed his excitement on its progress. Despite Dead Boy Detectives being entirely separate from Doom Patrol, some actors from the DC series will be reprising their roles, including Ruth Connell as the Nightmare Nurse.
Alongside Dead Boy Detectives and new episodes of The Sandman, Gaiman also currently has several other projects in the works. Good Omens season 2 will be releasing sometime this summer, though no trailers or firm release dates have been revealed yet. A television adaptation of Gaiman’s novel Anansi Boys is also currently in post-production and is set to be released on Prime Video, but does not currently have an expected release date.
As the Dead Boy Detectives first appeared in issues of The Sandman, it’s fitting that the show has moved from HBO to Netflix to allow for a crossover between the two series. While it’s currently unclear how crossovers between the two shows will look, new upcoming episodes of The Sandman could tease Dead Boy Detectives, which is expected to have a 2024 release date. With The Sandman‘s massive success, Dead Boy Detectives joining the show’s Netflix universe could spell success for yet another Gaiman television adaptation.
Source: Neil Gaiman/Twitter