James Gunn’s DC exit opens a door for Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2

Director Francis Lawrence says the long-discussed sequel to Constantine 2 has fresh momentum after a leadership change at DC Studios. He told Collider they already have a script and a clear idea for the movie — and that his version can live alongside any other DC take on the hellblazing antihero.

“If they just let us do the sequel to our version, they can coexist,” Lawrence said. “So, I have renewed hope as of yesterday that there might be some possibility for forward movement there.”

Lawrence has been trying to make a follow-up for nearly two decades, and Keanu Reeves has stayed eager to put the coat back on. The director suggested previous DC leadership stood in the way, while making a point that he wasn’t rooting for anyone to lose a job. He added that the core team never wavered.

• Keanu Reeves — still on board to return as John Constantine
• Akiva Goldsman — remains attached
• J.J. Abrams — remains attached

According to Lawrence, the next hurdle is aligning the companies involved — including Paramount, Warner Bros., and the current DC brass — to formally back a sequel to the 2005 movie. In February 2025 , Reeves said DC Studios had approved their pitch, with Goldsman reportedly writing the script.

Their Constantine, their rules

Marking the film ’s 20th anniversary on the Happy Sad Confused podcast last year, Reeves and Lawrence talked about intentionally steering away from a panel-for-panel comic adaptation. Lawrence said he wanted the character’s spirit without getting hung up on specifics like hair color or accent, and he chased a moody, modern noir vibe.

• Set in Los Angeles instead of the comics’ Liverpool
• No English accent and no insistence on blonde hair
• Brown coat instead of the comic’s black
• Style shaped by The Maltese Falcon, The Third Man, and Jim Thompson novels
• Shot in L.A. rather than using Toronto as a stand-in

The 2005 film became a success on its own terms, which is part of why Lawrence believes a sequel faithful to their version can work — even if DC pursues a separate take. There’s no green light yet; the team has a script and a plan, and the focus now is securing studio sign-off to move forward.