Constantine 2 is finally a reality as Warner Bros. announces a sequel for the DC demonologist. On September 16th, Deadline reported that Constantine would return with Keanu Reeves reprising his role from the 2005 film. The article also said that Frances Lawrence, who directed the original film, would be back to direct the sequel as well. Though the DCEU has seen several versions of the character over these past 17 years, none has hit the same spark that Reeves had in that first movie. Now, it seems DC wants to resurrect its universe’s most dangerous demon hunter with the same people that brought him into this world.

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Constantine has been a fan favorite of the DCEU since the last time he saved us from the antichrist. The movie created a new kind of world in which angels and demons were living right beside us and going to some crazy clubs. It took supernatural forces of good and evil and made them relatable. John Constantine’s struggle wasn’t just being an exorcist. It was exorcising his inner demons, the literal cancer that was eating away at his lungs, and his soul. Now that there’s going to be a Constantine 2, let’s hope Keanu Reeves hasn’t taken up smoking again.

Constantine: The Plot

     Warner Bros. Pictures

There are plenty of comic book storylines to work from when looking at a Constantine sequel. We have seen him in the past normally appearing in other DC characters’ stories, but not often in a tale of his own. This is because his job is a bit of an “on-call” type of profession. Similar to a paramedic or a pizza delivery guy, exorcists only work when they’re needed, so when a hero in the DC universe is having some unfamiliar religious experience or trouble with a demon, that’s when Constantine shows up.

Usually, we’ll see the character in a cameo or one shot, similar to how Johanna Constantine appeared in Sandman. But following this character’s personal narrative, we’ll typically get a look at the depths of hell that exist inside the human soul.

Last we left Constantine, he had just quit smoking. Having been given a second lease on life, he seemed glad to turn over a new leaf and was ready to value the life he was given. But this renewal did not come without a price. His right-hand man, Chas (Shia LaBeouf), had died on their quest to stop the antichrist. Father Hennessy had been possessed to drink himself to death. And Beeman had been consumed by insects. Perhaps we’ll see him on a quest for revenge.

Alternatively, John might have learned a powerful lesson about investing positively in his own life and the lives of others. We might see Constantine cautiously take Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) as his new student in the mystic arts. Now that Keanu Reeves is a bit older, it might make sense to introduce a new protagonist if DC wants to make a franchise out of Constantine. And Angela Dodson would be the perfect character. With her background as a detective and her newly awakened psychic abilities, she may become more powerful than Constantine with the proper training. Seeing the two reunited would be quite the treat to fans. The old characters are part of what made the 2005 movie so exciting, and to have the sequel explore deeper into the lore of Constantine’s world would scratch that itch cult fans have had for so long.

Constantine: The Cast and Crew

The sequel to Constantine is still a long way off, but with this announcement from Warner Bros. came some exciting names. Keanu Reeves is obviously back to play John Constantine again. An interesting choice because, over the years, there have been several other actors who have played the role.

Matt Ryan played the character in the DCEU’s Arrowverse, a popular line of DC canon based around the Green Arrow TV show. Sope Dirisu was meant to play Constantine in a canceled HBO Max series. And Jenna Coleman played Johanna Constantine most recently on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. While both had their own merits, neither inspired us the same way Keanu Reeves did in his original performance. To bring him back in the starring role is to do credit to the fans that love this incarnation of the character.

Francis Lawrence will be directing. Pairing the star and the old director could see a bit of the magic restored from what we saw in 2005. Since then, Lawrence has had a prominent career directing I am Legend, Water for Elephants, and taking over The Hunger Games movies starting with Catching Fire. Akiva Goldsman is set to write the screenplay. He worked with Lawrence on I am Legend and has written some impressive films, including Cinderella Man, The Da Vinci Code, and A Beautiful Mind.

He’s worked on some renowned DC projects like Titans and two of the ’90s Batman movies, and he’s currently famous for working on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Judging his career, this upcoming Constantine sequel will not disappoint. Goldsman has proven himself a writer of extreme quality that knows how to handle a title that has been in the reeds for a while and has worked inside the DC universe before. He will also produce through his company Weed Road Pictures alongside J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella from Bad Robot.

Release Date

As of yet, there is no release date for Constantine 2.