A character who fills a similar position to Marvel's The Watcher will soon be introduced in a new DC TV show. Uatu the Watcher is a long-standing character from Marvel's comics, who came to life in animated form in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, where Jeffrey Wright voiced him. Fans will meet DC's equivalent character in Season 2 of Netflix's The Sandman, which is based on the 1990s graphic novel series released by DC's Vertigo imprint.
The Sandman exists largely outside the core DC universe, although familiar characters, like John Constantine or Martian Manhunter, have made appearances from time to time in different issues. The Sandman is primarily based on the story of Dream, a member of the Endless family, anthropomorphic beings who represent universal concepts like desire, death, and despair.
Fans met Dream (Tom Sturridge) and several of his siblings in live-action in The Sandman's first season on Netflix. In Season 2, The Sandman will introduce the entire Endless family, including Adrian Lester as Destiny. A sneak peek clip of The Sandman Season 2, released by Netflix online, has revealed a first look at Lester in the role of Destiny, the oldest member of the Endless.
Destiny in The Sandman can be viewed as DC's answer to the Watcher. He is a mysterious and impartial cosmic being with knowledge of the past, present, and future, and rarely allows personal interest to dictate his involvement in the universe's affairs.
In the clip, Destiny stands in a black coat with a large book, away from his fellow family members who are blessing Orpheus (the son of Dream) for his wedding. When Orpheus asks his uncle if he will wish him well, Destiny responds in monotone, "I am Destiny, I do not wish. I know."
Destiny's all-perceiving knowledge and unbiased opinion are similar to the Order of Watchers in the MCU, a group of fifth-dimensional beings who oversee the Multiverse.
Typically, the Watchers will observe but not involve themselves in the happenings of the Multiverse. However, Uatu was forced to break his oath in What If...? after Ultron threatened to devastate multiple timelines.
The two's powers also differ slightly, as the Watchers have more tangible abilities like telepathy, time travel, teleportation, and energy manipulation. Meanwhile, Destiny's main power comes from his relic, the Book of Destiny, which is chained to his arm and contains the knowledge of all time.
Destiny's abilities are rarely more than a spoken word, as the Endless member can choose to reveal pieces of information that may trigger certain events.
Viewers will be able to see Destiny in action when The Sandman Season 2 debuts on Netflix. The first volume will be released on July 3, and the second volume will stream on July 24.
Will Destiny Have a Role in the Wider DC Universe?
Destiny's inclusion in The Sandman Season 2 is technically the character's live-action debut in the DC universe, although The Sandman itself is situated outside of anything James Gunn and Peter Safran are doing at DC Studios.
However, Destiny as a character was not created for The Sandman and was actually first introduced in the DC comic Weird Mystery Tales in 1972. He was later repurposed to become a member of the Endless in The Sandman.
This means the character could have a future outside of The Sandman if needed in a DC project, but it will likely be in a different form and played by a different actor.
With The Sandman ending after Season 2, there does not seem to be any plan to utilize any more of the graphic novel's story arcs or characters outside of the Netflix show. Netflix attempted to build a The Sandman cinematic universe with the release of Dead Boy Detectives, but these IPs will seemingly be put to rest after The Sandman's end in July.
