Even before it was announced that Keanu Reeves and original director Francis Lawrence would be revisiting John Constantine in a sequel, the man that brought him to life in 2005 had wanted to get back in the role for some time. In 2021, during an interview with Stephen Colbert, Reeves expressed hopes to revisit the LA-based exorcist in the future.

The cult popularity that “Constantine” has earned today is something of a surprise. Back when it came out, the film was met with mixed negative reviews (via Rotten Tomatoes). The fact that fans have come to embrace this movie is even more impressive considering the sacrilegious sins it committed as a comic book movie. For one, the Constantine we got looked nothing like the one from the comics, who was modeled on music icon Sting and sounded like a Beatle (that is, Constantine originates from Liverpool, England). Instead, this new Constantine was Neo with an attitude, albeit smelling like an ashtray (the latter point, though, being faithful to the comics). Dressed like a pallbearer and sounding like Keanu Reeves, he didn’t check the essential boxes regarding comic book movie accuracy. 

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And yet, there was something about this Americanised chain-smoking exorcist that clicked, and it was all thanks to Reeves’ performance. Looking back, “Constantine” feels like a role ahead of Reeves’ professional curve. This iteration delivered a bitter, dry-witted warrior against evil — one who had years on the job and a glass-half-empty sense of humor to match. Left unattended for 17 years, that glass has probably aged just right, especially with how Reeves has grown as an actor.