John Constantine is a well-known character in DC Comics but hasn't been seen for too long on screen. Fans first got a taste of Constantine in 2005 with Keanu Reeves portraying the character in Constantine. While the film didn't do so well, it became a cult classic when regarding the character.
NBC decided to try their hand at recreating the character on television with a show of the same name in 2014. Sadly, the show didn't meet rating standards and was canceled. It still became popular among fans. Just how different is John Constantine from the film compared to the series? Let's take a look at how the comic book character differed on the big screen compared to television.
DIFFERENCE: The Use Of The Occult & Biblical References
A main difference between the show and the film is how each uses the occult. In the film, Constantine focuses on using biblical items to fight off demons and send them to Hell. He uses crosses, biblical verses and artifacts such as the Bible of Hell or the Shroud of Turin. Most importantly, there is also the spear that pierced Christ's side, known as the Spear of Destiny.
Meanwhile, the show focuses more on the use of magic or dark magic. Constantine trained himself in the occult with spells, rituals, curses and summoning the dead. The show is more based on fantastical magic, unlike the film that focuses on real world religious references.
SIMILARITY: The Threat Of Impending Doom
For fans of the film, there is a main driving force that Constantine must vanquish. When performing an exorcism on a young girl, he realizes that demons are manifesting where they are normally not allowed. It then escalates into realizing that someone is looking to bring Mammon, the devil's son, to Earth to wreak havoc.
The show also has a similar plot element. Constantine returns to his old exorcist ways after Manny tells him of the Rising Darkness. Constantine then feels a responsibility to stop this from occurring and keep the balance of good and evil on Earth.
DIFFERENCE: Constantine's Look
Constantine is known for his look in the comic books. In the film, a similar idea was followed but is ultimately different. The show, on the other hand, follows the look to a T.
Keanu Reeves' look for Constatine consisted of a white button-up, black tie, slacks and a black overcoat. The main discrepancy was that they didn't make him blonde like the comics. The show followed the comic book version including the red tie, beige trench coat and blonde quiffed hair.
SIMILARITY: Chas & Friends
This detail is a tie between being the same but different as well. Constantine has a trusty protegee and companion in the film by the name of Chas (Shia Labeouf). He is a young teen who is also his chauffeur and hopes to take over for Constantine.
The show also has a Chas (Charles Halford), though this version is an older gentleman and Constantine's oldest friend. This older version of Chas is the one who's closer to the source material. Additionally, both the film and show both include a character who has the gift of sight, meaning they can see the supernatural world.
DIFFERENCE: Smoking & Lung Cancer
As if being damned to Hell and essentially being forced to become an exorcist weren't bad enough, the movie's Constantine also has to deal with cancer. It's mentioned that Constantine is dying of lung cancer from being a heavy smoker, and he is afraid that he won't get redemption before his time is up. This serves as his personal motivation throughout the film, though he learns to see past himself.
In contrast, the show merely alludes to Constantine being a heavy smoker but not much else. In fact, no one even mentions him having lung cancer. They make jokes that he will one day get cancer due to his smoking habit, but Constantine is rarely seen smoking anyways.
SIMILARITY: Constantine Is Rude & Snarky
Constantine has a certain persona to him that makes him memorable amongst his peers or anyone he meets - for both good and bad reasons. In both versions, Constantine has a bit of an ego that can rub people the wrong way.
In the film when Constantine goes to the church to meet with the priest, he bumps into Angela (Rachel Weisz). Constantine bickers with her that his visit is more important than whatever she may have on her mind. The show has that same attitude, albeit a bit more lighthearted. Constantine is described as being enigmatic and irreverent, and he is quick to dismiss others with some sarcasm or witty jokes.
DIFFERENCE: Constantine's Backstory
The film version doesn't go too far in Constantines' previous life, but it reveals enough. After saving Angela from a demon attack, he tells her his life story over some food. He explains that he was born with the ability to perceive monsters. They haunted him his whole life, leading his parents to commit him to a psych ward. After being brought back to life from a suicide attempt, he becomes an exorcist to avoid eternal damnation.
The show, in contrast, is more rambunctious. Constantine lived with an abusive father who blamed him for the death of his mother. In his teens, he gets involved with the occult and s a band. He teaches himself about magic and the dead.
SIMILARITY: A Nefarious Angelic Presence
In the show, Constantine is aided by a mysterious angel named Manny (Harold Perrineau), who reveals little about himself. Along the way, another angel appears, Imogen, and claims to be injured. She needs Constantine's help to retrieve her feather so she can get back to Heaven. It's later revealed that Imogen is a fallen angel who believes humans take God's gift for granted. Even more shocking, though, is that Manny is actually Gabriel, and he brings about the Rising Darkness.
A similar character appears in the film. The androgynous Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) is a half-breed able to manifest wings and appear on the human plane. Constantine believes Gabriel can help in redemption, but it's later discovered that Gabriel planned to bring the devil's son to Earth so that humanity can be reborn (i.e. killed off and then redeemed). God demotes Gabriel to being human as punishment for trying to instigate the Biblical apocalypse.
DIFFERENCE: Why Constantine Was Damned
The main premise of Constantine centers on his job as an exorcist. The way he came to be an exorcist is different between the film and the show. In the film, Constantine was plagued with the ability to see demons and spirits as a child. It led to a psychotic break resulting in him trying to take his own life. Suicide is considered the ultimate sin, so Constantine must be Heaven's errand boy if he wants to get into paradise when he dies.
In the show, Constantine (Matt Ryan) is damned for botching an exorcism and now must make up for it. It should be noted that this version of events is actually more accurate to the original comics both the series and film took their names from.
SIMILARITY: The Search For Redemption
Both versions of Constantine really don't want to spend an eternity of torment in Hell. To be fair, who does? Even the demons want out of there. Since suicide is a mortal sin that earns one eternal damnation, the film's Constantine is given a chance to redeem himself. In return, he is tasked with expelling demons that try to enter Earth, hoping God would save his soul.
The show follows the same guidelines. Constantine's soul was damned after expelling a soul to Hell that did not belong there. He then tries to live life as a do-gooder, expelling demons from innocent people while hoping to save himself. At some point, he gives up until someone close to him is threatened.
