Constantine 2: Team Up With Jesus Planned
Warner Brothers has been threatening and teasing fans that a new Constantine is on its way, with an old face reprising the role. What's more it might even be a sequel.
This article is more than 2 years old
Is Constantine 2 finally happening? The rumors have been going on for years. Back in 2013, writer and super director Guillermo Del Toro had written a script for the movie Justice League Dark, that was going to bring back the popular DC comic book character John Constantine, having him become a central figure in the Justice League. Unfortunately, Del Toro left the project in 2014 as movement on the project stalled. Today, though, Warner Brothers has been threatening and teasing fans that a new Constantine is on its way, with an old face reprising the role. What’s more it might even be a sequel.
That’s right we seem to be getting Constantine 2. More on whether it’s a sequel or a reboot as you read further down.
Constantine 2 Is Happening
Yes, Warner Bros is seemingly moving forward with a new live-action rendition of Constantine. Various sources also say that Bad Robot will be serving as the production company in charge with none other than JJ Abrams being attached as a producer.
This is notable because Abrams and company are producing the Justice League Dark series for the new HBO Max streaming service. What’s also notable is that the recently announced Zatanna movie may also have a lot to do with the possible Constantine reboot as both characters play a large part in the Justice League Dark team.
More on whether this is really Constantine 2 or a Constantine reboot, as you read on.
Casting The New Movie
Number one on Warner Bros. wish list to star in the new Constantine would be Keanu Reeves. Word is they are actively pursuing to get him back and talks are currently ongoing.
Constantine 2 seems like something Keanu would totally be willing to do. Keanu Reeves played John Constantine back in the 2005 movie, and we know Reeves has no problem putting back on the face of former characters. He has been seen as John Wick going on four times now, he has been seen a Neo from the Matrix franchise going on four times now, and he will also be seen as Ted for the third time in Bill & Ted Face the Music.
If Keanu returns as Constantine it’s been more than 15-years. He’s a little older, a little wiser, and he’ll probably do things a little different. Here’s a fan interpretation of what Keanu would look like returning to the role as part of Constantine 2…
So, Reeves’ return as Constantine seems pretty likely. In fact, we’d be shocked if he didn’t come back. Could anything hold him back from accepting the role? Of course, the fact that his first run at Constantine didn’t fare as well as many had hoped for, landing with a dull thud in many critics and fan’s eyes. So perhaps it is a character Reeves feels he has nothing else to give. OR it could be Reeves feels he has some unfinished business. Maybe the fact that he didn’t stick the landing the first time around is fuel to his fire. But WB wanting to bring Keanu Reeves back seems to indicate their plan is for this to be more of a Constantine 2 than a Constantine reboot.
If they can’t get Keanu Reeves a lot of fans would like to see Matt Ryan, the Constantine from the TV series in Constantine 2. The 39-year old actor first portrayed Constantine in the series of the same name for two seasons, then went on to reprise that role in Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow (still on-going), the web series Constantine: City of Demons, Batwoman, and The Flash.
Obviously, Ryan would jump at the chance to lead a feature film but is it something that Abrams and Warner Bros. would want? But then again, with all the multiverse DC has been dealing with lately, why could you not have both Reeves and Ryan appear as John Constantine? Stranger things have happened. But if they go with Ryan alone then this can’t really be Constantine 2 and it means WB is going full reboot with the character.
The Plot Of Constantine 2
Back when the first Constantine came out, writer Akiva Goldsman had a few ideas scribbled down for a potential Constantine 2. One of those ideas probably would have been pretty controversial. Here’s how Goldsman explains it…
“We’ve talked about it and we’ve had ideas, and I would love that, what if he woke up in a cell, he has to identify the prisoner? It was [screenwriter Frank Cabello’s] idea that [the prisoner] was Jesus. He comes up and he’s in New York. Yeah, we’ve talked about a sequel.”
Whether this idea might still be used for the Constantine 2 being kicked around now is uncertain. However it’s worth noting that audiences are a lot less sensitive about religious ideology being used in movies than they were back in the early 2000s. Maybe the idea was too controversial back then, but it might not be now.
Is This Really Constantine 2?
The 2005 Keanu Reeves led Constantine movie was not exactly a hit. We’re ardent defenders of it and it has a lot of fans, but it didn’t make money and there’s a reason WB hasn’t tried to revisit it in the fifteen years since. But if they bring Keanu Reeves back as the character then at best this new Constantine seems like a soft reboot of his original movie. It might even be a straight up Constantine 2. Given that they’re planning on bringing Keanu back it seems like the plan is not to ignore the first movie, and we’re all in.
