James Gunn, co-chief of DC Studios, has confirmed that despite ongoing discussions with Keanu Reeves about a James Gunn Constantine sequel, he has not yet reviewed a script for the project. Nearly two decades after the original Constantine film starring Reeves, anticipation around a follow-up remains high among fans and creators alike.
The excitement for a sequel to the 2005 adaptation by Francis Lawrence has grown steadily in recent years, with Reeves actively pushing for its realization. Following Gunn’s leadership role at DC Studios, Warner Bros. announced development efforts for the film, but progress appears stalled without a finalized script.
Ongoing Conversations but No Script Approval
In his appearance on the BobaTalks podcast, Gunn openly discussed the status of the Constantine sequel, revealing his interactions with Reeves but admitting he has not seen a completed screenplay. This hesitation aligns with Gunn’s established policy that no DC Studios project should proceed without a script he deems fully prepared.
I’ve discussed it on and off. I’ve discussed it with Keanu,
Gunn said.
But I have not read any script yet.
– James Gunn, DC Studios co-chief
Creative Differences about the Direction of the Sequel
Actor Peter Stormare, who appeared alongside Reeves in the original film, shed light on one cause of the delay. According to Stormare, Reeves has expressed dissatisfaction with scripts presented so far, emphasizing a desire to maintain the spiritual and grounded tone of the first movie rather than pushing into more conventional blockbuster action sequences.
[There’s] a lot of back and forth, because… I think Keanu [Reeves] is not so happy with the scripts,
Stormare told The Direct.
Because the first one wasn’t that successful in the beginning, it became a sleeper and became a cult movie, and now it is one of the biggest cult movies ever… To do a sequel, the studios want to have, you know, cars flying in the air. They want to have people doing flip-flops and fighting action scenes. And I think Keanu says, ‘I’ve done John Wick. This movie is spiritual. It’s about demons and regular people. And I wanted to keep it that way.’ And we talked about that. I want to do God coming down exactly the same way, but in a black suit and looking more or less like Lucifer from the first one. I’m 12 years older, so it’s going to be hard to, you know, completely imitate the first movie. But, I think from Keanu, he wants to do a sequel that is very close to the first one.
– Peter Stormare, actor
Behind-the-Scenes Challenges and Vertigo Rights Issues
Filmmaker Francis Lawrence, who directed the original Constantine, has also commented on obstacles slowing the sequel’s progress. In a 2023 interview, he referenced difficulties regaining control over the Vertigo character rights, which had created hurdles for development, particularly with competing plans like J.J. Abrams‘s Justice League Dark project that aimed to feature Constantine alongside other supernatural DC characters.
…We had to jump through a bunch of hurdles to get control of the character again, because other people had control of the Vertigo stuff. We have control.
– Francis Lawrence, director
Constantine’s Ongoing Presence Across Media
Since the 2005 film, John Constantine’s presence in popular media has persisted through various adaptations. Matt Ryan starred in a short-lived NBC series, and the character has been involved in numerous animated features and appearances within the Arrowverse television franchise, including shows like Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and the crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths alongside Lucifer.
What the Future Holds for the Constantine Franchise
The continued deliberations between James Gunn, Keanu Reeves, and other stakeholders suggest the Constantine sequel will only advance once its creative direction aligns with both the studio’s ambitions and Reeves’s vision of preserving the original’s nuanced tone. With Gunn committed to ensuring scripts meet a high standard before production begins, fans may need patience as the project evolves.
The enduring popularity of John Constantine as a character, bolstered by cult status and multiple screen incarnations, suggests strong potential for the sequel to make a significant impact once it moves forward under DC Studios’ oversight.
