The Sandman, Netflix’s ambitious adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s seminal dark fantasy comic series, has exceeded expectations worldwide and is currently the most watched show on the platform in 89 countries. But one character has reignited online nostalgia for another offbeat DC Comics adaptation: 2005’s Constantine, starring the Internet’s sweetheart, Keanu Reeves.
Constantine, loosely based on the DC Vertigo comic Hellblazer, featured Reeves as supernatural occult investigator John Constantine as he attempts to investigate a woman’s mysterious death only to find himself facing the forces of Heaven and Hell. The movie, directed by Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, was a minor box office success, and, though some criticized the choice to have Constantine, a London-dwelling Liverpudlian in the long-running comics series, an American, the movie has a dedicated fan base.
Of course, The Sandman producers opted for an English (and gender-swapped) version of the character for their adaptation of the Sandman/Hellblazer crossover in The Sandman number 3, but the character has only stoked longtime fans’ desire to revisit or even get a sequel to the 2005 movie.
Of course, being good Keanu fans, there has been very little criticism of Jenna Coleman, who plays Johanna Constantine in The Sandman, just a desire to see Reeves as well. Coleman is herself a fan and, according to thepopverse.com, recently said at San Diego Comic-Con that Reeves’ version of the character was the only version she used as a reference when creating Johanna.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a Reeves-helmed sequel or series will manifest anytime soon. According to Entertainment Weekly, Reeves himself told the audience of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert that he would, “love to be John Constantine again,” but also admitted that film studios haven’t shown much interest in a reboot. Despite the current climate at Warner Bros. Discovery, the word is a new reboot by J.J. Abrams is still in the offing, but it’s rumored that Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù is the current contender to take up the character’s rumpled trench coat.
However, the renewed fan fervor online might turn some studio eyes toward a potential sequel to the original movie. Who knows? We may finally get to hear Keanu tell Lucifer, “It’s Constan-TIME!!”
The Sandman is currently available to stream on Netflix.