The Keanu Reeves-Led Constantine Sequel Is Definitely Still Happening Despite DC Slate Changes
There are plenty of reasons to be excited — and even more to be trepidatious — over the announcement that James Gunn, Peter Safran, and their DCU are cranking out a new slate of films. With the turmoil that DC Comics fans have faced over the past decade, every ounce of good news coming from Warner Bros. Discovery seems to be accompanied by a pound of bad. Since the glory days of Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, the studio has struggled to compete with the insanely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe.
One of the projects that's given fans something to grasp onto regarding the DC glory days has been the announcement of "Constantine 2." In September of last year, Deadline reported that the star of 2005's "Constantine," Keanu Reeves, would be reuniting with director Francis Lawrence. Akiva Goldsman would pen the film, and even franchise rejuvenation specialist J.J. Abrams ("Mission Impossible," "Star Trek," and "Star Wars") was on board to produce. That was great news for fans, but in true DC style, the shoe has been hanging in the air, awaiting to drop for some time.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been swinging a Paul Bunyan-sized axe at virtually every property in its reach since the merger, with "Batgirl," "Wonder Woman 3," and Henry Cavill's triumphant return to "Superman" falling victim. With the shake-up of the DC Universe and James Gunn's new DC slate, the question remains, what of the return of our beloved magician?
The film is still moving forward
According to Entertainment Weekly, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that the sequel to the 2005 classic is still moving forward. So far, the star and director are still attached, so fans can expect much of the same from the new film. Returns for other actors in the movie are yet to be confirmed; Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, and Peter Stormare all portray characters that could feasibly return. But the group could also connect it to James Gunn's new DCU, thanks to one announced project.
There are two primary ways the studio can go with "Constantine 2." The first and most straightforward path they could take would be the same as Matt Reeves' "The Batman" franchise starring Robert Pattinson, and Todd Phillips' "Joker" franchise starring Joaquin Phoenix. They can produce these films as what Gunn called "Elseworlds" projects, meaning they are separate from the DCU timeline. Likely joining the likes of "Shazam: Fury of the Gods," "Aquaman 2," and "Blue Beetle." The second path would be to tie it into the new DCU after Ezra Miller's "The Flash" film resets the DC Universe. Since there is no actor crossover between the movies, it would be pretty straightforward to tie Keanu's John Constantine into the world. Since there is some overlap in the comics, the Chapter 1-announced "Swamp Thing" would be the easiest tie-in for the character.
With the slate of films announced by Gunn last week and the knowledge that the bright spots of the DC Universe that have kept fans going over the previous decade are surviving, there's good news on the horizon. While we all still find ways to process the loss of Henry Cavill from the franchise, we can rejoice that our beloved Keanu Reeves is stepping up.