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Constantine 2 is reportedly in development at Warner Bros. with John Wick‘s Keanu Reeves set to stick around in the leading role.
Keanu Reeves made his one and only appearance as DC’s John Constantine in a 2005 solo outing from director Francis Lawrence.
So, it came as a great shock when it was revealed in September 2022, just before James Gunn’s DCU reboot announcement, that a sequel was in the works with both Reeves and Lawrence returning under a script from Akiva Goldsman.
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Is Constantine 2 Still Happening?
At the time of the last update in March 2023, Reeves stated that while they are “trying” to get Constantine 2 off the ground, he “[didn’t] know” yet whether it will come to fruition under the new DC regime.
DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has revealed that the bar for an Elseworlds project outside the DCU, which Constantine 2 would presumably be, will be “higher” than those in the connected world as it will require something “really special.”
As such, the writers will have to deliver a particularly exceptional screenplay for Constantine 2 to join the ranks of DC’s Elseworlds alongside Matt Reeves’ The Batman and Todd Phillips’ Joker.
Just weeks prior to Reeves’ uncertain comments, the actor confirmed he had spoken to Gunn about Constantine 2, seemingly offering a glimmer of hope development will continue under the new DC Studios leadership.
While the project may still find itself shelved or stuck in development hell, there has so far been no indication of Constantine 2 being officially canceled.
When Will Constantine 2 Release?
It’s unclear exactly how far along development on Constantine 2 actually is, but one would assume it to be very early on based on its only recent announcement and the uncertainty of whether it will actually come to fruition.
Due to the ongoing writers’ strike plaguing Hollywood, any work on Constantine 2 will, unfortunately, have come to a halt for now, with no sign of an end to the protest to allow work to resume at this time.
Even once the script can be finished, assuming the sequel gets the greenlight, Reeves’ busy schedule may leave the rest of the team waiting to actually begin filming Constantine 2 for a while.
Thus, the sequel is unlikely to arrive anytime before 2026, as DC will also look to distance Constantine 2 from its other upcoming releases as it focuses on getting its brand-new DCU kicked into gear before further expanding Elseworlds.
Who Will Return in Constantine 2?
Obviously, Keanu Reeves will be back to lead Constantine 2, as the actor’s return was the only one officially stated in the original report; he has also been pushing to get the DC sequel made for years.
Reeves told The Late Show With Stephen Colbert during the 2021 promotion of The Matrix Resurrection how John Constantine is a role he “would love” to play again, noting that he had been “trying” to get a sequel into development.
Another actor who appears likely to return is Prison Break‘s Peter Stormare, who played the devil himself, Lucifer, in the original 2005 movie.
Stormare was the first to tease the sequel being in the works and has since told ScreenRant how he has even spoken with Reeves about Constantine 2, making it likely he will reprise his role as Lucifer for the second go-around.
With 18 years having passed since Constantine, the fate of the rest of the cast – including Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton, Shia LaBeouf, and Djimon Hounsou – remains unclear at this time, especially with development so early on.
Behind the camera, Francis Lawrence is set to reprise directing duties. I Am Legend writer Akiva Goldsman will pen the screenplay, having only served as a producer on the original 2005 movie – a role he’ll reprise.
J.J. Abrams will additionally come on board as a producer, having previously been developing his own Constantine streaming show which has since been canceled.
What Will Happen in Constantine 2?
Constantine 2 writer Akiva Goldsman confirmed the sequel “expands on the themes” of the 2005 movie, particularly on “maintaining the barrier between earth and the evil creatures that are on the other side.”
Lucifier actor Peter Stormare told ScreenRant how Keanu Reeves had expressed his desire for the movie to be “simple” and character-focussed, swerving the intense special effects on many modern comic book movies:
I think Keanu, we have talked, he said, ‘I want to keep it like the first one. Simple, contain and based on characters, not on special effects, and if we can’t get that, then I’m not in it.'”
Constantine 2 has yet to set an official release date.
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