Hellblazer John Constantine has been adapted several times over the years, but one of the more infamous versions of the DC character remains to be Keanu Reeves’ version which came out back in 2005.
Fans have been clamoring for a sequel for years, and it looks like the movie may have just passed a milestone in pre-production.
Constantine 2 Script Completed Says Producer
In a recent talk with ComicBook, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura gives an update on the status of the Constantine sequel. When asked about the script, di Bonaventura replied, "You know it's in my inbox right now. Funny enough, I'm too scared to read it, though," he said. "I want it to be good so bad. I probably read it in the next few days. When I get on an airplane."
No further details were revealed about the sequel, but at least it’s confirmed to follow the universe in which Keanu Reeves plays John Constantine.
How is Reeves’ Constantine Different?
Though John Constantine has been in the comics for a while, the character did find a major overhaul when it came to the movie adaptation. Sure he was still a supernatural exorcist cool guy with a smoking problem in the movie, but they decided to drop a lot of signature elements that defined the comic book version.
For one, comic Constantine was a blonde and had an English accent—occasionally he would have a Scouse accent because he’s said to be from Liverpool. He wears a light-brown trench coat over a disheveled white shirt and a tie that’s either red or black.
Reeves’ version of Constantine is American and wears mostly black, save for the white shirt. He also comes with these tattoos on both arms which can be put together for some supernatural magic mumbo jumbo.
It’s also worth noting that the Constantine title was chosen because the comic that John appears in, Hellblazer—as edgy as it sounded at the time—was thought to be confused with a movie released in the previous year by the name of Hellboy.
Constantine’s Cult Status
Though Reeves’ Constantine may not have been exactly faithful to the comics, it is still a version that is considered iconic in his own way and was considered to be a lot of fans’ introduction to the character.
Besides having his unique knowledge of the supernatural, the movie Constantine also came with a bunch of great themed weapons—as if the Church had made weapons for James Bond. Constantine had bombs filled with holy water and gold knuckles with crucifixes on them for punching demons.
Probably his most iconic weapon in the film is the Holy Shotgun which has a barrel in the shape of a cross and can also double as a flamethrower; just pure, early 2000s edginess.
It’s not clear how they plan to move forward with Reeves’ Constantine, but it’s safe to say nobody is expecting him to attempt a British accent. Maybe he can be part of Gunn’s DCU moving forward, but as of now, there aren’t any details that have been released about the project.
A Constantine sequel has not been officially announced.