Will There Ever Be A Constantine 2?
Keanu Reeves has a knack for starring in original properties that go on to become huge franchises. It doesn't hurt, that literally everyone loves the guy. This love affair between Keanu and the world began in 1989 with Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, which went on to spawn several sequels, including 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music. He's also Neo in The Matrix and its sequels, a franchise he's poised to return to in The Matrix 4, set to come out in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22, 2021. On top of that, he'll star in his second tetralogy with John Wick 4 confirmed to release next year. Surprisingly, the one time the actor starred in a comic book adaptation was one of the times one of his blockbusters didn't result in a sequel.
2005's Constantine, based on the Hellblazer comics from DC, features Reeves as the titular John Constantine, who has the ability to commune with otherworldly forces. It's his mission to exorcise demons from Earth back to Hell so that he can eventually earn his way into Heaven and avoid eternal damnation. He performs this service all while dealing with a terminal lung cancer diagnosis. The film did okay at the box office, likely hindered by its R-rating (rare at the time for a comic book movie). Still, the film has developed a cult following, which has only been bolstered by the character's own television series (canceled after one season) and his later appearances in Legends of Tomorrow.
No doubt, seeing Reeves return as the occult detective would be welcomed by fans with open arms if a sequel ever got off the ground. That kind of follow-up may not be confirmed yet, but there are reasons to be hopeful.
Peter Stormare said a sequel is in the works
Until there's official confirmation from Warner Bros. that Constantine 2 is a go, everything out there should be considered speculation. However, there are certainly plenty of reasons to examine an Instagram post Peter Stormare (who plays Lucifer in Constantine) made back in November of 2020.
The image consists of a Total Nerd Photoshop of the actor as Lucifer with the caption, "In Constantine, Peter Stormare plays one of the best versions of Satan in film history." Stormare goes on to add his own message, which states, "Sequel In The Works." This sent his fans into a tizzy, with dozens of people commenting, expressing their gratitude, and asking if the news is real. Honestly, we're not quite sure what to make of this.
It's bizarre an actor would make such an announcement without the studio backing it up in any way, but by all accounts, it isn't just Stormare's followers who'd love to take another crack at this philosophical action franchise. Back in the summer of 2020, producer Akiva Goldsman was on a ComicCon@Home panel where he described a potential scene that could've been included in a follow-up, stating, "[John] wakes up in a cell, he has to identify a prisoner. Remember? It was [screenwriter Frank Cabello's] idea. [The prisoner] was Jesus. He comes up and he's in New York. Just ... yeah we talked about a few scenes" (via Collider).
Director Francis Lawrence also expressed how Constantine is more popular now than in 2005, saying, "People have sort of discovered it recently, weirdly. It's always had its cult fanbase, which is great. But I think people have discovered it in a new way. So I think we always loved it more than the studios did." With renewed interest, perhaps a sequel could be in the cards.
A Constantine sequel could fit into the DC multiverse
Singular universes are so last year. Marvel is pushing full-speed ahead with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will see the Sorcerer Supreme do plenty of reality-hopping. By the looks of it, DC films are set to explore this territory as well, as The Flash movie is planned to take us on a similar wild ride. With a multiverse out in the mainstream, it could be just what Warner Bros. needs to move forward with Constantine 2 without having to worry about how it's going to fit into the main continuity.
There's also a possibility it wouldn't necessarily be a straightforward sequel. In January of 2020, J.J. Abrams' production house, Bad Robot, signed a deal with Warner Bros. to bring Justice League Dark to fruition — both on the big screen and on television sets. This team-up generally features John Constantine front and center, so it could be one way to bring the character back while setting up a bunch of other characters, like Zatanna and Deadman.
Perhaps Warner Bros. could even cast someone else as the main Constantine and bring Reeves back as an alternate-reality version of the character after the multiverse gets underway. With magic a prominent force within Justice League Dark, the studio can literally do anything it wants, and fans would be ecstatic for a Reeves return.
Back to the question at hand: "Will there be a Constantine 2?" We just don't know yet. Many different factors appear to be at play, however, and fans are hellbent to make it come true. In the age of the Snyder Cut, anything's possible.