Keanu Reeves’ long-awaited return as John Constantine may finally have a brighter path ahead. James Gunn’s departure from DC Studios may have given Constantine 2 a fresh reason for optimism. After years of delays and creative roadblocks, the project has a renewed sense of possibility.
What Francis Lawrence said about Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2
Francis Lawrence has spent years trying to get Constantine 2 off the ground with Reeves, writer Akiva Goldsman, and producer J.J. Abrams. Warner Bros. began developing the project in 2022, and Lawrence said in a 2025 interview with Collider that they had moved closer to making it. However, the people previously overseeing DC had reportedly become a roadblock.
That could change after Skydance announced Nov. 9 that James Gunn and Peter Safran would leave their positions as DC Studios co-heads. Jeremy Latcham, who collaborated with Gunn on Guardians of the Galaxy, is going to be the new president and chief creative officer on Dec. 1.
Speaking with Collider’s Steven Weintraub, Lawrence said the leadership transition had brought back some optimism. He stressed that he did not celebrate anyone losing their job, but admitted the previous DC leadership “were an impediment.” The filmmaker said the team had an idea and a script, adding that the project needed Paramount, Warner Bros. and whoever runs DC to get behind “our version of Constantine.”
A separate DCU take on the supernatural detective would not necessarily derail Reeves’ return. Lawrence said he would be happy to see both interpretations exist, even if DC develops another Constantine for its shared universe. “They can coexist,” he said, describing the latest developments as a reason for “renewed hope.”
Lawrence also has a clear vision for the sequel’s tone. The original film received an R rating despite the director following the requirements for a PG-13 release. That experience left him frustrated, and he now wants the next installment to embrace a full-on R-rated approach rather than repeat the same compromise. “So when we do it, it’s going to be the hard-R version of Constantine,” he said.
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