Author Neil Gaiman has responded to the backlash surrounding the casting of Lucifer Morningstar in Netflix's adaptation of his graphic novel series, The Sandman, and revealed why it was never on the cards to bring back Tom Ellis.
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After a fan on Twitter quizzed him as to why the actor hadn't been brought back to reprise his role, writing: "And you couldn't have asked Tom Ellis why?" Neil explained all.
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In response, he wrote: "Because his Lucifer, while inspired by the Lucifer in Sandman, is so far away in terms of Sandman continuity by the end of LUCIFER, that it's easier on everyone to go back to the version in the comic.
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"And this way you don't know what our Lucifer is going to do," he added before concluding his post by stressing that there was no love lost between him and the Brit actor. "Tom's is lovable."
© Photo: NetflixTom ended his five-year run on Lucifer last year
Neil's reply should hopefully put to bed the debate over Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie's casting as Lucifer in the upcoming adaptation, which has been raging on ever since the actress was first announced back in October 2021.
She will make her debut on the series alongside stars Tom Sturridge, Jenna Coleman and David Thewlis when the show makes its debut on the streaming site later this year.
© Photo: NetflixGwendoline Christie's casting as Lucifer in The Sandman received some backlash
As fans will recall, Tom ended his five-year run on Lucifer last year when the show came to a conclusion with its sixth season. At the time, Tom teased that he was hoping to work on something "completely different" after portraying the same character for so many years - so it seems unlikely that he would have even taken the role had it been offered to him.
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He told Square Mile: "I am going to find myself in that similar territory in that people are going to expect one thing from me now. And I would like to surprise them and do something completely different. That's always been my thought process."
It's been announced that he has been cast in the upcoming romantic comedy Players, alongside Jane The Virgin star Gina Rodriguez and New Girl's Damon Wayans Jr, as well as a new Hulu series titled Washington Black, which will also star This Is Us actor Sterling K, Brown.
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