If Warner Bros. and DC Films ever decide to do a new Constantine movie, they’ve got the right man for the job. Scott Derrickson, director of Doctor Strange, has expressed interested in taking on DC’s Hellblazer, should the opportunity arise.
Recently, a fan took to Twitter to ask Derrickson if he would be interested in taking on Justice League Dark, a project that has been in development for several years, with Doug Liman and Guillermo del Toro spending time with it behind the scenes. Derrickson, in his reply, indicated he’d be interested in a different DC property.
I’d do Constantine
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) February 26, 2020
“I’d do Constantine,” Derrickson said.
In recent years, John Constantine has seen a rise in popularity. This is in no small part thanks to the short-lived but well-liked TV series that ran for just one season on NBC. Matt Ryan starred as the titular character and, due to fan demand for more, he ended up making his way to the ArrowVerse on the CW and pops up on Legends of Tomorrow these days. Ryan has also voiced the character in animated projects, such as the Justice League Dark animated film.
There’s also the 2005 Keanu Reeves Constantine movie. At the time of its release, it was met with something of a mixed response but has found a lot of love in recent years. Also, as hard as it may be to believe, it was the highest-grossing DC movie ever, with $230 million worldwide, to not feature Batman or Superman in it until Wonder Woman hit theaters in 2017.
Here’s the synopsis for 2005’s Constantine, for those who may need a little refresher.
“As a suicide survivor, demon hunter John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) has literally been to hell and back — and he knows that when he dies, he’s got a one-way ticket to Satan’s realm unless he can earn enough goodwill to climb God’s stairway to heaven. While helping policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) investigate her identical twin’s apparent suicide, Constantine becomes caught up in a supernatural plot involving both demonic and angelic forces.”
Derrickson, meanwhile, seems perfect for the gig. He can handle superhero stuff quite well, as we’ve seen with Doctor Strange, and he has excellent horror sensibilities, as evidenced by Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Plus, Derrickson is no longer directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so he’s possibly available for a big superhero gig right now.
At present, DC Films is taking a more calculated, one step at a time approach and not putting the cart before the horse. The Batman, The Suicide Squad, Shazam 2, Black Adam and The Flash are all in the works, with Wonder Woman 1984 set to arrive later this year. Something like Constantine could add a little bit of genre diversity to that lineup.
Your move, DC.
So what do you think? Would you prefer to see Scott Derrickson do this over Justice League Dark? Should Warner Bros. Consider a Constantine reboot? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
