The Sandman was lauded as one of the best comic book adaptations of recent memory, so, despite the long wait, the series will soon be returning. Fans have seen fantastic on-screen versions of some of The Endless, but Delirium, the embodiment of madness, sits waiting for her big debut next season.
Delirium takes the form of a small slender youth with red hair and mismatched eyes. She's one of the more upbeat members of Dream's family, leading many of her siblings to be protective of her. She used to represent Delight but shifted to Delirium for reasons not even Destiny knows. She's only been portrayed once before, in Dirk Maggs' audiobook adaptation of The Sandman, her voice was provided by alt-comedy legend Kristen Schaal. Her on-screen portrayal will likely be a bit different.
Sadie Sink
Netflix loves to cast actors across multiple original series, and this would be a great way to keep young talent in the family. Sadie Sink is best known for her breakthrough role as Max Mayfield on Stranger Things, a performance that has been nominated for numerous awards. She also stars as Ziggy Berman in two of the Fear Street movies, in which she easily steals the show. Most recently, she starred alongside Brendan Fraser in The Whale, delivering an incredibly powerful performance as a daughter dealing with an absentee father. Sink is a solid up-and-coming performer, but she's yet to take on a role in which she can really cut loose. She looks the part without much work and the unhinged performance necessary to portray Delirium would be a fascinating departure from her usual roles.
Sophia Lillis
Speaking of talented young redheads who cut their teeth in 80s-inspired youth horror projects; the woman who portrayed Bev in 2017's It has had a very interesting career. Her performance was the secret ingredient that made I Am Not Okay with This so great. That show's lead role gave her a chance to explore some unique and powerful stuff in its short run. She took the title role in the surprisingly solid Gretel and Hansel in 2020. She's set to appear as the tiefling druid in the Dungeons and Dragons movie next year. Lillis has played a wide variety of roles, and she's pulled them all off with aplomb. In 2018's Sharp Objects, Lillis performed a heartrendingly sincere take on mental illness, The Sandman could give her a chance to take a more cosmic angle on the concept.
Jasmin Savoy Brown
There's a bit of lateral thinking that goes into casting. When they picked Kirby Howell-Baptiste to portray Death, one wonders if they glanced at The Good Place as the perfect show to draw from. In much the same way, the best show on TV to capture the unhinged teen energy of Delirium is Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson's Yellowjackets. That's why two stars of that show make this list. Jasmin Savoy Brown has appeared in several interesting TV roles. From The Leftovers to Stitchers, she pops up everywhere. Her biggest performance to date might be Mindy Meeks-Martin in the recent Scream requel. She's set to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel. Brown stands out in every project she's taken on, and she even manages to bring some actual comedy to Scream. Her timing, delivery, and easy charisma are hugely impressive, and she'd be a great younger sibling to Dream and Death.
Sophie Thatcher
The star behind Natalie in Yellowjackets and the cyborg gang leader in The Book of Boba Fett might be the best no-brainer casting choice for Delirium out there today. She's 22, and from her earliest on-screen role, (young Reagan in the ill-fated TV iteration of The Exorcist,) she has an incredible presence that can't be denied. There's a punk rock energy to so much of her persona. She even has a starring role in a music video for the 1999 Pavement track "Harness Your Hopes." Thatcher isn't the biggest name out there, but there's something about the sheer star power she brings to even the smallest role that is dying to be let out. Delirium might be the perfect role for her, and she might just be the perfect choice to play the embodiment of madness.
Miley Cyrus
Yes, it's a crazy pick, but the craziest character in written fiction needs a crazy casting choice. Miley Cyrus is a controversial actor, and she hasn't come to the screen often over the past few years. But, her image has evolved so much over the past decade and change that she would have little trouble slipping into this role. The Sandman has made it clear that they're willing to make strange choices when casting beloved characters, and little would draw more sidelong glances than casting this pop star in the role of Delirium. Miley Cyrus may not be the best choice for the role, but she could be the most unhinged, which might make her the best fit after all.