Dave Bautista admitted that one of the reasons why he won’t be playing his dream role of Bane is because James Gunn is planning to take things in a “younger and fresher” direction, something Superman: Legacy makes abundantly clear.
39 year-old Henry Cavill was deemed as too old to carry on as the Man of Steel, with The Flash expected to mark the swansong of 50 year-old Ben Affleck, while the disparaging comments made about Batgirl indicate that 71 year-old Michael Keaton’s comeback is over before it even started.
Black Adam proved to be a one-and-done endeavor for 50 year-old Dwayne Johnson, too, so it’s not all that surprising that the latest rumors sweeping the internet are claiming Keanu Reeves’ Constantine sequel is as good as dead in the water. Ironically, it was only last week the actor was voicing his enthusiasm for the project, which may turn out to be short-lived.
After all, even though the John Wick franchise has proven he’s more than capable of kicking ass with the best of them and beating the younger generation at their own game, the ass-kicking icon still turns 60 next year. If Gunn plans on mapping out the next decade of film and television content, then it’s hard to imagine he’s got much room for what could theoretically be a septuagenarian John Constantine should the long-awaited second installment lead to a third film.
If one of the most beloved figures on the planet isn’t safe from Gunn and Peter Safran’s ruthless purge, then all bets are well and truly off.