There hasn’t been a Constantine season 2 after the show was cancelled on NBC, but it would be a smart move for DC to greenlight one after Legends of Tomorrow season 4. Although John Constantine’s series failed on network TV, trenchcoat-clad occultist remained so popular he jumped to a completely different show - The CW’s Arrow - and was later made into a series regular on Legends of Tomorrow. Now, it’s time for The CW to start thinking about John Constantine’s future - and that means reviving his solo series for a season 2 when his time on the Waverider ends.
Based on the rock star Sting and created in 1984 by comics legend Alan Moore and artists Stephen R. Bissette, and John Totleben in the pages of DC’s Saga of the Swamp Thing, John Constantine evolved into the most beloved magician in the DC Universe. He starred in his own comics series Hellblazer, Constantine, and Constantine: The Hellblazer. The rogue demonologist’s popularity spawned the 2005 feature film Constantine, but casting Keanu Reeves as an Americanized version of the British mage didn’t win over fans old or new.
Still, you can’t keep a good sorcerer down. Noting the popularity of DC properties like Arrow and The Flash on The CW, NBC greenlit 13-episodes of a Constantine TV series in 2014, this time casting Matt Ryan and properly making John a blond, bi-sexual Englishman. Unfortunately, the occult meddler’s time on the Peacock Network was short-lived.
Why Constantine’s Show Was Cancelled By NBC
Constantine season 2 never happened because the show was canceled by NBC because of poor ratings. During the 2014 fall season, the series’ first eight episodes aired on Friday nights at 10pm. This difficult timeslot meant that Constantine’s youthful core audience wouldn’t be watching the series live; indeed, the show posted strong numbers for viewers watching later via DVR or streaming, but NBC deemed Constantine too expensive to justify its low ratings. The network declined to order the back nine episodes for season 1 and when the series returned from winter hiatus, a move to a primetime slot of Fridays at 8pm did little to raise the ratings. Constantine was canceled on May 8, 2015 - but that was just the end of the beginning for the chain-smoking warlock.
Constantine Was Saved By The Arrowverse
John Constantine lived in his own universe on NBC but The CW’s Arrowverse was where he truly belonged, and both Arrow’s producers and the fans wanted him there. Constantine made the jump and guest-starred in the Arrow season 4 episode “Haunted”, believed then to be “a special one-time dispensation” granted by DC. But rather than a mere one-shot, the door only opened wider for John Constantine; his NBC series’ continuity was retroactively made part of the Arrowverse, and Matt Ryan returned to voice his signature character in the CW Seed animated series Constantine: City of Demons.
The rogue demonologist next appeared in two episodes of Legends of Tomorrow season 3, which synched perfectly with the misfit heroes facing off against a magical threat called Mallus. In fact, Constantine fit in with the time-traveling Legends so well, The CW announced that Matt Ryan would join the cast as a series regular in season 4, which cemented John Constantine as a major player in the Arrowverse and completed his resurrection from NBC’s cancellation limbo.
Constantine Deserves Season 2 - Will The CW Give Him A Spinoff?
Constantine changed the direction of Legends of Tomorrow; season 4 was now about the misfit time-travelers fighting supernatural fugitives and their new arch-enemy, Neron, was a demon with a grudge against John. In turn, the British mage found new comedic dimensions rubbing up against Sara Lance, Mick Rory, Ray Palmer, and Zari Tomaz - the irreverent outliers of the Arrowverse. And yet, John Constantine isn’t the type of bloke who will gallivant through time forever.
The next step is the final reward fans really want: Constantine season 2 on The CW. After all, John has trailblazed the magical side of The CW’s shared universe and, along with fellow mystics like Nora Darhk, a resurrected Constantine could bring DC’s other magical beings like Felix Faust. Dr. Occult, Baron Winters, and even the Spectre properly into the Arrowverse.
The CW recently renewed all five of its DC series for the fall 2019 season and is ramping up a sixth: Batwoman, so the network may simply not have room for Constantine season 2 right now. However, the rogue demonologist as already pulled off miracles. John Constantine’s true magical power is his seemingly limitless popularity; if there’s enough clamor, The CW might just give fans the long-awaited Constantine season 2 after John disembarks from Legends of Tomorrow’s timeship.
Next: What To Expect When Legends of Tomorrow Season 4 Returns
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow season 4 returns Monday, April 1st @ 8pm on The CW.
