Even if Keanu Reeves doesn’t end up reprising the role he last played in 2005’s cult favorite Constantine, the occult investigator is set to become a regular presence on our screens nonetheless. While any talk of a follow-up to Francis Lawrence’s blockbuster has cooled down significantly since the fifteenth anniversary celebrations last summer, the title hero is still lined up for at least three in-development projects.
Neil Gaiman may have poured cold water on the reports that Taron Egerton had been cast in Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman, but he did admit the role hadn’t been filled as of yet, so we can pretty much bank on Constantine showing up. Then there’s HBO Max’s Justice League Dark, which is set to be executive produced by J.J. Abrams and will almost inevitably feature the character as a key member of the titular team.
Not only that, but yesterday brought further news that Constantine could also be getting his own solo series on the streaming service, which will presumably act as a direct spinoff from Justice League Dark. The report claims that producers are looking for actors of color in their 20s that fit the mold of a young Riz Ahmed, and the news is inevitably going to cause some division among the fanbase.
Obviously, the initial comic book appearance of Constantine was based on musician Sting, and there were many folks crying foul when Keanu Reeves was awarded the part, but those who haven’t seen Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula should count themselves lucky that he didn’t opt for an English accent. Of course, gender and race-swapping major characters is nothing new these days, but the focus should always fall on finding the best person for the role, regardless of their background.