Before Keanu Reeves was John Wick he was John Constantine. While Keanu’s take on DC Comics demon hunter was originally criticized for its differences from the source material, the film has become a cult classic, which meant a lot of people were very excited when it was announced that a long-requested Constantine 2 was in development.
Since the movie was first announced, however, we’ve heard very little. Keanu Reeves appeared on The Late Show with Steven Colbert last night where he thanked the host for playing a part in getting the sequel up and running. And while Constantine 2 isn’t looking to go in front of cameras soon, the actor confirmed the script is being worked on, saying…
The nos started to become a maybe which became a kinda yes… and right now waiting on a script.
The wait for a script for the upcoming DC movie has taken longer than probably anybody wants. Director Francis Lawrence admitted that last year’s writers’ strike was a significant reason for the delay in the Constantine script.
The script for Constantine 2 is currently being worked on by screenwriter Akiva Goldsman. He’s also working on the script for the upcoming I Am Legend sequel starring Michael B. Jordan, so his plate is pretty full. Based on what both Goldsman has said previously, and what Keanu says here, the work is being done, it's just unclear how close a script is to being done.
This is great news for not only fans of Constantine but also fans of DC Comics in general. As we speak James Gunn is working on Superman, already one of the biggest movies on the 2025 movie schedule. It’s also the beginning of Gunn’s new DCU on the big screen.
Just because Constantine was a stand-alone movie doesn’t mean that Constantine 2 can’t be incorporated into the new DCU. James Gunn has said that Peacemaker Season 2 will be part of the new DCU even though Season 1 is non-canon. Constantine 2 could certainly do something similar.
One way or another there has to be a conversation between James Gunn as the head of DC Films and the Constantine production team. The conversation regarding just how to handle the characters has to be something that is also taking place.
Even if Constantine 2 is considered an “Elseworlds” film and isn’t part of the larger cinematic universe, it will still be fantastic to see the long-development project finally happen. And the fact that there isn’t yet a script means that Tilda Swinton, who said she doesn’t expect to be in the movie because she hasn’t heard anything, could still very much be part of the story. It’s unlikely any conversations with the potential cast will happen until there’s a finished script.
