Keanu Reeves reveals he would love to play John Constantine again on screen if the opportunity to reprise the DC Comics role presented itself. The character made his first appearance in the comics in The Saga of Swamp Thing created by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette and John Totleben before going on to lead his own series Hellblazer and various iterations of the title beginning in 1988. Constantine's solo series would become the longest-running and most successful title of DC's Vertigo imprint before it was ultimately retired and replaced with DC Black Label.
Constantine would make his screen debut with the eponymous 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves in the titular role and helmed by future Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence. The film would see generally mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike upon its release, with the visual effects and the acting seeing general positive reception while the changes made to the titular character and the plot itself would be criticized. Having only grossed over $230 million against its estimated $100 million budget, a Constantine sequel has seemed largely off the table, though as a cult following has built over the years and general interest in the character increases, some are certainly ready tor this portrayal to return.
In a recent interview with Esquire to discuss his career, Reeves was asked about his interest in reprising the role of John Constantine for a new film. Reeves confirmed he'd love to play the character again while humorously realizing how many characters with the first name John he's played over the years. See what Reeves said below:
"I love playing Constantine. John Constantine. I've played a lot of Johns. How many Johns have I played? I don't even know. I think it's over ten. But anyway, I'd love to have the chance to play Constantine again."
The change in depiction of Constantine from a blonde British man styled after Sting to Reeves' black-haired American has left many audiences divided over the years, with some defending the rest of the portrayal as in line with the comics while many find the look too distracting. Reeves' new comments of wanting to return for another Constantine are in line with his discussion a few years ago, in which he expressed an unfulfilled desire to revisit the character in some capacity. Word has swirled about the star's return to the role over the past couple of years as Francis Lawrence revealed in 2020 he had spoken with Reeves for a potential Constantine sequel while Peter Stormare, who portrayed Lucifer in the first film, revealed on Instagram in late 2020 that a sequel was indeed in the works.
The potential future of Constantine on screen is currently complicated as varying reports of a new live-action movie and series from Bad Robot Productions have come out in the past year. The HBO Max series, with reported ties to J.J. Abrams' Justice League Dark show, is reportedly looking to recast the role with an entirely new actor, seemingly leaving Reeves and Arrowverse star Matt Ryan behind. Until further plans are revealed for the character, audiences can revisit Reeves' Constantine streaming on HBO Max now.
Source: Esquire