Netflix's Dead Boy Detectives is set to premiere in just over a week, and the streamer has now released the first 5 minutes of the debut episode online (click here to check it out).
Created by Neil Gaiman, the undead duo were first introduced in the pages of The Sandman before going on to appear in the likes of The Books of Magic, Children's Crusade, Doom Patrol, and more. In the comics, Charles Rowland and Edwin Paine were a pair of murdered school boys who decided not to enter the afterlife in order to stay on earth and investigate crimes involving the supernatural.
Gaiman previously confirmed that at least one member of Dream's family, The Endless, would appear in the show, but didn't specify which one. Fans assumed it would be Death, and sure enough, Kirby Howell-Baptiste's not-so Grim Reaper shows up briefly in the recent teaser.
During an interview with SFX, creator/showrunner Steve Yockey was asked about any other potential Sandman connections, and whether a crossover was something that was discussed.
“Netflix encouraged us, even though we were already in production, to find some Easter eggs, some surprises, that because we’re on the same network we’re now allowed to include that we weren’t allowed to include before. I would obviously love to continue to cross-pollinate, where it makes sense, with Sandman.”
In a separate interview with Screen Rant, Yockey confirmed that we will see other characters from The Sandman later on in the season - though he didn't reveal which ones!
"But the thing is that it needs to be specific. We specifically have Death in the pilot because Death is the character that's driving our story, even when she doesn't appear. Because the boys are hiding from her. And later in the season, we have some other appearances that are timed specifically to what our characters are going through. I think as long as there is an emotional and narrative reason to have them, yes. But I don't think we're just going to be pulling people willy-nilly just to get the kind of pop."
Check out the trailer below along with some new clips and posters, and let us know what you think.
The official logline for the show reads: “Do you have a pesky ghost haunting you? Has a demon stolen your core memories? You may want to ring the Dead Boy Detectives. Meet Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), ‘the brains’ and ‘the brawn’ behind the Dead Boy Detectives agency. Teenagers born decades apart who find each other only in death, Edwin and Charles are best friends and ghosts… who solve mysteries. They will do anything to stick together – including escaping evil witches, Hell and Death herself. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Kassius Nelson) and her friend Niko (Yuyu Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases.”
Rowland and Paine actually appeared in the third season of Doom Patrol, but were played by different actors (Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant).
Dead Boy Detectives is part of The Sandman universe and based on the beloved comic series from Neil Gaiman. Steve Yockey (The Flight Attendant, Supernatural) and Beth Schwartz (Sweet Tooth, Arrow) serve as co-showrunners, with Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, You), Jeremy Carver (Supernatural), and Sarah Schechter (Riverdale, You) as executive producers.
The series also stars Jennifer Lyon, Briana Cuoco, Lukas Gage, David Iacono, and Ruth Connell.