Constantine HBO Max show was reportedly already in the casting process, and it adds to a series of recent DCEU shakeups.
Constantine (2005) was initially envisioned as a Tarsem Singh film starring Nicolas Cage as Constantine. Tarsem Singh eventually exited the movie due to creative differences, which led to Nicolas Cage also exiting the DC film. By the time Francis Lawrence signed on, Keanu Reeves had already been cast to play the first live-action iteration of John Constantine.
While not as comic-accurate as recent DC movies and shows have been, Constantine (2005) is ed as an entertaining take on the character. However, Constantine (2005) only made $230.9 million at the box office on a $100 million budget – which is why it never received an immediate sequel. Still, as part of the “Keanu Reeves renaissance”, many wished for the actor to reprise his role for a Constantine 2 movie, similar to how he was returning for Bill and Ted Face the Music and The Matrix Resurrections. However, the idea of Constantine 2 happening seemed impossible because J.J. Abrams was already working on a Justice League Dark universe for HBO Max – one that would involve John Constantine. The announcement of Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 and the future of J.J. Abrams’ Dark Universe project are intrinsically connected, and it seems like a Justice League Dark movie or show is no longer a priority for Warner Bros.
Is The DCEU’s Constantine Show Still Happening?
John Constantine, one of the most important DC characters when it comes to the supernatural side of that world, was set to be the main pillar of the Justice League Dark universe J.J. Abrams was creating. Abrams's Bad Robot was developing a Constantine DC TV show for HBO Max, and while no official cast was ever announced, the show was reportedly eying Sope Dirisu for the role of Constantine. It had been previously reported that one of the reasons why Legends of Tomorrow could no longer use Constantine, who in the Arrowverse was played by Matt Ryan, is that Warner Bros. had plans for the character – most likely the J.J. Abrams TV show. The fact that Johanna Constantine appeared in Netflix’s Sandman instead of John Constantine was also attributed to Warner Bros. having plans for the character.
However, following the news of Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 happening, J.J Abrams’ production company Bad Robot believe that Constantine and Madame X could be both picked up by other networks. That is similar to what happened with Batman: Caped Crusader, which is also a J.J. Abrams production that was canceled by HBO Max and is currently being shopped to other networks.
What Constantine 2 Means To J.J. Abrams’ Justice League Dark Universe
Even if the Constantine and Madame X shows could still be picked up by other networks, the fact that HBO Max has ed on both productions and that WB greenlight Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 spells trouble for J.J. Abrams’ Justice League Dark universe. The most promising thing about Abrams’ Justice League Dark Universe is that it would connect different movies and shows using HBO Max as its base platform. With Constantine and Madame X not going to HBO Max, which has so far been the home for DCEU-related productions such as The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, then it’s difficult to picture how a Justice League Dark universe can be built.
If the idea was to expand that universe to the big screen, as suggested by Bad Robot’s Zatanna movie, then it would never make sense for WB to connect DCEU movies with shows that audiences could not find on HBO Max. Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 does not seem to share any connections with the J.J. Abrams Justice League Dark universe other than the fact it is also produced by Bad Robot, and while Constantine 2 could fit into the DCEU, it seems to be a legacy sequel rather than the beginning of a multiple-platform franchise. Had the Justice League Dark universe project already become reality, then Constantine 2 would most likely not be happening.
J.J. Abrams’ Dark Universe Limbo Repeats DC’s Justice League Dark Struggle
The prospect of J.J. Abrams’ Dark Universe project not happening continues DC’s 9-year struggle to make a Justice League Dark film. That journey started in 2013 when Guillermo Del Toro said that he was working on a Dark Universe movie. Del Toro’s Dark Universe film began to be developed when Warner Bros. was putting together what would become the DCEU with films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. While Del Toro initially said that his project would not be connected with Man of Steel and other DC movies, he later itted that Dark Universe could perhaps be part of the DCEU.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Justice League Dark movie ended up never happening, yet the filmmaker remained as an executive producer in the project that later welcomed Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) as the director. Doug Liman entered the project in 2016, with the latest version of the script still based on Del Toro’s original treatment. However, in March 2017, Doug Liman exited the Dark Universe project. A search for a new Justice League Dark director began, but no other updates followed until J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot came on board. J.J Abrams was therefore the most recent hope for a Justice League Dark project.
Will There Still Be A Justice League Dark In The DCEU?
Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles in the making of a Justice League Dark universe was the fact that the DCEU never became an established universe itself. There is currently a lot of uncertainty regarding the DCEU as a franchise, including whether Henry Cavill is still Superman or who will be Batman going forward. The DCEU has gone through several course corrections, with the most recent one happening after the Warner Bros Discovery merger. The future of HBO Max as a streaming service for original scripted content is also up in the air, which means a universe of movies and shows on HBO Max as J.J. Abrams had planned will likely not happen. A Justice League Dark movie could still happen, but that depends on what will be of the DCEU in the next few years. Still, it is safe to say that the Justice League Dark movie will continue in limbo for the foreseeable future — especially now that Constantine 2 is in the making.
