Keanu Reeves' Constantine 2 Could Be Dead After A Major DC Studios Development

John Constantine is about to enter James Gunn's DC Universe. Deadline reports that DC Studios has recruited filmmaker Francis Galluppi, writer/director of the upcoming "Evil Dead Wrath," to write a movie starring Constantine. But didn't Warner Bros. already have a Constantine movie in development?

Keanu Reeves played Constantine in the eponymous 2005 "Constantine" film. It's been criticized for its inaccuracies to the original "Hellblazer" comics (Reeves is often ranked as the worst onscreen John Constantine), but as a film unto itself, "Constantine" has found an audience who love it in spite of its infidelity.

Reeves himself has been pushing for a "Constantine" sequel, but "Constantine 2" has kept facing delays. With DC Studios moving forward with a new Constantine, it's unclear if Reeves' sequel will continue; Deadline's reporting does not mention the project one way or another. Compare how DC Studios has held off bringing in Batman to its new DC Universe, even when making a movie like "Clayface" that's set in Gotham City. That's clearly because Matt Reeves' "The Batman" franchise is existing in parallel with the DCU. While a DCU-set Batman movie, "The Brave and the Bold," was announced in 2023, there's been little movement on that project since then.

Two versions of Batman simultaneously existing already seemed like a risky move. Two competing John Constantine movies? Forget about it.

Co-created in 1985 by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, and John Totleben, John Constantine first debuted as a supporting character in "Swamp Thing." Just a few years later, he earned a spin-off comic, "Hellblazer," that ran for 25 years and 300 issues. 

As for Constantine, he's a warlock, an occult detective, an exorcist, and a con man known for his acerbic cynicism and chain-smoking. (Noted "Hellblazer" arc "Dangerous Habits" by Garth Ennis and Will Simpson is all about John discovering he has lung cancer from his constant smoking and racing to save himself.) While initially presented as part of the main DC Universe, "Hellblazer," published by DC's Vertigo imprint, gradually drifted into its own separate world. 

But then, DC Comics' 2011 reboot "The New 52" broke down those walls again. Suddenly, John was joining the Justice League Dark, a team for DC's supernatural superheroes. That integration carried over outside the comics. Welsh actor Matt Ryan played Constantine in a short-lived NBC series in 2014 — but that was only the beginning. Ryan guest-starred as John in Season 4 of "Arrow" and then became a regular on "Legends of Tomorrow." He also became the character's official voice actor in animation, beginning with a 2017 "Justice League Dark" animated movie.

This early, it's unclear who DC Studios could have in mind to play John Constantine, though actor Bill Skarsgård has put himself in contention. It's worth noting that DC Studios currently has a "Swamp Thing" movie, directed by James Mangold, in the works. This is pure speculation, but it wouldn't be out of place for John to show up in that.