TV - Movies
The Real Reason
Tom Ellis Isn't
Reprising Lucifer
For Netflix's
Sandman Series
By COREY HOFFMEYER
Recently, Neil Gaiman was asked why they didn't bring back Tom Ellis for the role of Lucifer in "The Sandman," and Gaiman gave a pretty succinct answer via Twitter. Gaiman tweeted, "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 comics."
It's honestly a fair point by Gaiman. While "Lucifer" was heavily inspired by the comic book character, the show never embraced any of his comic stories. Instead, "Lucifer" was more akin to police procedural shows while mostly putting most of its fantasy elements on the backburner.
Plus, over the course of six seasons, the character went through a lot of development, which culminated in Lucifer mostly overcoming his darker nature and actually becoming quite likable. Starting over fresh with Gwendoline Christie arguably removes the expectation that the character will act as the "Lucifer" version of the character that would naturally occur if Ellis were to reprise the role.