NBC has announced the casting for the main character in their Constantine television pilot. Constantine is based on the famed DC Comics character who is currently appearing in their Justice League Dark comic book series. Deadline is reporting the Matt Ryan is going to play the titular character in the series. His acting experience includes Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and most recently as Edward Kenway in Assasin’s Creed IV Black Flag.
This will be the second time John Constantine is appearing onscreen, the first being in the Constantine film where he was played by Keanu Reeves. Constantine spends his time hunting supernatural beings and saving the world, the difference with him being he isn’t always happy or excited to do so.
The plot for the pilot has already been written and the writing credits on it include Davis S. Goyer (Batman Begins & Man of Steel) and Daniel Cerone (Dexter). Directing duties will fall upon Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones).
We can only hope this episodic take on the character will fare better than Keanu Reeves did when he portrayed the character on film. The last thing comic book fans need is another terrible television adaptation. Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun summed it up best, speaking some years ago on the film adaptation, stating, “It all comes off as a case of filmmakers wanting to have their communion wafer and eat it, too”. Fingers crossed!
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