When ‘Constantine’ was cancelled over the summer, DC fans were sad to see Matt Ryan’s version of the Hellblazer go. Though there was a mixed reaction to the show itself, the actor was a perfect fit for the role. Luckily, he had one last chance to play the part when ‘Arrow’ came calling and brought the mystical John Constantine into Oliver Queen’s world. The crossover was something that was in the works while the failed NBC superhero series was still on the air, but it was taken off the table when a second season didn’t materialize. However, if the show had continued, would we have seen Ryan’s occult detective show up in Star City again down the line? According to Marc Guggenheim, probably not.
While speaking to Comic Book Resources, the ‘Arrow’ co-showrunner and executive producer revealed the behind the scenes details of Matt Ryan’s appearance alongside the Green Arrow on The CW. And though it was something that they had planned on doing whether ‘Constantine’ was on the air or not, it turns out the deal was always meant as a one-shot:
“Back when ‘Constantine’ was on, we were talking about a crossover. Then ‘Constantine’ wasn’t on, so we stopped talking about a crossover. It took a while. I think it was actually something Matt Ryan and Stephen [Amell] started talking [about]. It was always in the cards. When we were given the character, we were given the character with the understanding and the agreement that this is a one-off.”
Sorry for the bad news, but don’t lose all hope just yet. ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ seems to be bringing in a ton of different characters from all over the DC Universe. Though nothing has been said about this actually happening, John Constantine could prove useful in Rip Hunter’s crusade against Vandal Savage. Just throwing the idea out there. After all, I’m sure that Ryan wouldn’t mind dusting off the old trench coat one more time.
Are you disappointed that John Constantine’s appearance on ‘Arrow’ was a one-off deal? Do you think that the character could pop up somewhere else in the future like one of the other Arrowverse shows on The CW? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
