Doctor Strange's Scott Derrickson Would Direct A DC Constantine Movie

Marvel's Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson says he would be willing to direct a standalone Constantine DC film following the announcement last month that he would no longer direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Although he will remain as an executive producer for the Doctor Strange sequel, Marvel Studios confirmed Derrickson’s departure from the director’s chair was due to “creative differences.” Within a week of Marvel Studios announcing Sam Raimi as his replacement, Derrickson casually expressed his interest in directing a film starring a character from Marvel’s rival, DC Comics.

The character of John Constantine has already appeared on the small screen in a 2014-2015 NBC series and more recently, with The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow. In both shows, Matt Ryan portrays the wisecracking con artist, who uses equal parts cunning and dark magic to outwit supernatural threats. Although there was a cult 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves in the titular role, there hasn’t been a film adaptation that fits within the continuity of other DC characters. However, Warner Bros. has been developing a Justice League Dark project for years, which would feature Constantine and several other magic-wielding characters battling supernatural threats deemed too arcane for the Justice League. Justice League Dark has rotated through several directors (including Guillermo del Toro), but most recently, J.J. Abrams’ company Bad Robot Productions has confirmed they are developing live-action content related to the property. The details about which Justice League Dark characters or stories they would spotlight – or if Abrams will even direct the films himself – are unconfirmed.

When a fan asked Derrickson on Twitter if he would be interested in directing a Justice League Dark team-up film, Derrickson replied, “I’d do Constantine.” The DC property would fit within his portfolio of supernatural films, including The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister. The scary iconography of the occult is familiar territory for Derrickson, who originally suggested Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would have direct horror influences.

Even though Derrickson only briefly expressed interest rather than confirming any plans, fitting him into a DC film project is still possible. A solo Constantine film could be one of the films that are part of the Bad Robot Productions deal with DC. Thus far, Abrams isn’t necessarily attached as a writer or director of the Justice League Dark films, either. However, if Abrams directed a Justice League Dark movie first, Derrickson would be free to develop a non-origin story for Constantine that could follow the events of the team-up film.

The Doctor Strange sequel isn’t the first time a director has left the MCU due to creative differences. Most notably, Edgar Wright suggested he didn’t have directorial freedom when making Ant-Man. However, Warner Bros. has been more flexible with directors’ visions in recent years, especially with standalone films such as Joker and Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Maybe a switch to the DCEU would satisfy Derrickson’s creative freedom and bring fans the horror-infused Constantine film they’ve been craving.

Next: How Justice League Dark Can Fit Into The New DCEU

Source: Scott Derrickson/Twitter