Throughout its eight seasons, Game of Thrones viewers were welcomed by a mass of complex and ambitious characters. While some were guided by loyalty and survival, others were blinded by greed and cruelty, often with catastrophic consequences. However, one such character from the series that fans loved to hate is now very much being welcomed into a new, brighter light as they take on a new persona in one of Netflix's biggest fantasy shows of 2025 so far.
Based on Martin's novels in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, HBO's adaptation received a lot of praise, growing a dedicated and loyal fanbase that only seemed to increase as each episode rolled around. Although it's hard to pinpoint exactly what made Game of Thrones so unique, one of the top answers among its fan base is the show's complex characters, who were just as messy as everyone else. The hit series gave its viewers a huge platter of various characters to whet every appetite. From its cruel villains like Joffrey Baratheon, Walder Frey, and Ramsay Bolton to kinder characters like Podrick Payne, Hodor, and Davos Seaworth, and some underrated characters in the mix too, the series wove a spell-binding narrative that will forever be a rare quality, especially for the small screen. While many characters from the show have moved on to different roles outside the Westeros universe, one particularly loathed character has found themselves thrown into the hearts of fans by playing a mischievous fairy.
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Jack Gleeson Wins Fans' Hearts in The Sandman Season 2
Anyone who has watched Game of Thrones will know about Joffrey Baratheon, the eighteenth king to rule from the Iron Throne, and his horrible and cruel ways. From his physical and psychological torment of Sansa, oppressing the civilians of King's Landing, ordering Ned Stark to be executed for treason, and forcing his daughter, Sansa, to watch, Joffrey was truly an evil individual that fans had absolutely no time for. However, thanks to being poisoned by Lady Olenna Tyrell at his own wedding to Sansa and dying a horrific yet justified death, Joffrey's reign was finally over and now, 11 years later, the actor behind Joffrey, Jack Gleeson, is finally getting the recognition he deserves from fans after starring in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman season 2.
Over on Reddit, poster ashmichael73 shared on the Game of Thrones subreddit how great it was to see Gleeson in such a fantastic role as Puck in season 2 of The Sandman, with many of the comments seemingly agreeing. "He was amazing in this role, absolutely solid performance," replied one fan, as another echoed the same praise, saying, "I am pleased that he has returned to acting. It seemed such a shame to waste all that talent." This is such a far cry from his time during and after the first 3 seasons of Game of Thrones, where some fans struggled to separate the actor from the character he portrayed. Even though his performance was widely praised, some fans directed their hatred towards Gleeson personally, leading to real-life backlash.
Announced in July last year, Netflix revealed that Jack Gleeson would be joining the cast of the second season of The Sandman as Puck, but without giving too much away for those who haven't seen season two yet, Puck is described as a troublesome and dangerous shapeshifting creature from Celtic mythology but thankfully, he's nowhere near as bad as Joffrey, however that slice of devilment still sits on his shoulder.
The Sandman Season 2 Volume 1 was released via Netflix on July 3, 2025, and Volume 2 was released on July 24, 2025.
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The Sandman
- Release Date
- 2022 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Allan Heinberg
- Directors
- Louise Hooper, Andrés Baiz, Hisko Hulsing, Mike Barker, Coralie Fargeat
- Writers
- Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg, David S. Goyer
Cast
-
Tom SturridgeMorpheus / Dream -
Boyd HolbrookThe Corinthian
WHERE TO WATCH
- Creator(s)
- David S. Goyer, Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg
Source: Reddit