Keanu Reeves Constantine 2 Still Hasn’t Got Confirmation From James Gunn

Fans eagerly waiting for Keanu Reeves to Return as John Constantine in the new DC Movie. John A. Constantine is a British occult detective and con man, who is the protagonist of the comic book series “Hellblazer.” His primary weapon against the supernatural entities he confronts is his extensive knowledge of the occult. DC Studios co-head James Gunn recently provided an update on the very much long awaited sequel that has certainly left many fans of the cult classic feeling more than a little pessimistic about the film’s immediate future. 

Gunn spoke in the latest interview on the status of Constantine 2, stating that although there had been talks, the project is in limbo. “I’ve talked about it on and off. I’ve talked to Keanu,” said Gunn. However, he quickly deflated the fan enthusiasm by saying “I haven’t read a script yet.”  

This confession is especially troubling considering The second installment began production in September 2022. when Warner Bros. announced that Reeves and original director Francis Lawrence would return for a second chapter. The project is hovering in the middle for almost two years now and the completed script still hasn’t been confirmed by the DC studio, the challenges the project faces are substantial. 

Keanu Reeves Constantine 2 Script Not Reaching The Gunn’s Desk

Constantine 2’s path has been anything but smooth. It was actually revealed by Reeves himself earlier this year that both he and Lawrence have been attempting to make the sequel “for well over a decade”. Once they did finally pitch a story treatment to DC Studios, they got tentative go-ahead to write a screenplay. In early October, Reeves gave what seemed like a positive update, saying “another draft of the script came in” and that the group was planning on sending it to the studio. 

However, based on comments from Gunn in the last days, it would seem that a draft is not yet in his hands or at least not close to being at his hands.Considering Gunn’s famous motto that he needs “finished pages” to give the go-ahead on projects, and with Deadline recently reporting that he might have just that for GOTG 3, it’s promising. 

Struggles To Keep The Script Original 

The writing has been especially difficult to crack. Peter Stormare, who gave a scene-stealing performance as Lucifer in the 2005 original, revealed earlier this year that Reeves “is not so happy with the scripts” and that there’s been “a lot of back-and forth”.The problem seems to be arising from studio demands that turn the sequel into a large-budget extravaganza with lots of action scenes and special effects. 

Stormare said studios “want to have cars flying in the air, and they want to have people doing flip-flops and fighting action scenes.” However, Reeves is pushing back, refusing to lose the spiritual, grounded tone that ultimately made the original a cult classic. “This movie is spiritual. It’s got demons and ordinary people,” said Stormare, underscoring Reeves’ commitment to keeping the sequel faithful to the darker, more reflective tone of its predecessor. Not wanting to turn this one into another DC superhero movie.

Why Constantine Deserves Better

Constantine (2005), despite receiving mixed critical reviews at the time of release, grossed $230.9 million at the global box office on a production budget of $70-100 million. It is even more significant because over the years it grew a fiercely devoted cult following who adored its gritty supernatural noir style, philosophical musings on faith and redemption, and Keanu Reeves’ melancholy portrayal of the chain-smoking exorcist. 

The movie boasted a strong supporting cast that included Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton as the icy angel Gabriel, and a remarkable five minutes of Stormare as Lucifer. As a character John Constantine (adapted loosely from the DC Vertigo Hellblazer comics) had a fanbase who appreciated the darker, more adult angle on the superhero genre. 

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Is Constantine 2 Ready To Deliver A Creative Storyline

Gunn’s update, while discouraging, is not an absolute death knell for the project. The DC co-head did admit he “likes all those people a lot and thinks they’re talented,” so that could mean he’s open to the sequel if the right script comes together. Additionally, Constantine 2 would more than likely be under the DC’s Elseworlds label similar to Matt Reeves’ The Batman franchise which would separate it from the core DC Universe timeline. 

However, the ongoing tension between Reeves’ motive to keep the original’s spiritual approach and Gunn’s expectations for a blockbuster spectacle continues to be a major obstacle for Constantine 2.

Conclusion

While waiting for Constantine 2, one thing is sure that this could beat the fans’ expectations with a great storyline as Reeves’ pushes more to the original character ground and spirituality that already made everyone fall in love with the first part. While balancing the desire for a commercially viable project that meets Gunn’s stated policy of not greenlighting projects without finalized scripts. It will definitely get a commercial hit at the box office as it follows a script that honors the character and story.