Summary

• Constantine 2 faces a high standard set by James Gunn's DC Universe comments, but positive updates and talks between Reeves and Gunn provide hope for its production.
• Gunn's Elseworlds label sets a high standard for standalone projects like Constantine 2, requiring them to be "something really special" to justify the investment.
• The high bar set by DC's Elseworlds label makes Constantine 2 even more promising, as it indicates the film will need to be excellent to be made, making it an exciting future prospect for the studio.

Constantine 2 updates started coming in 2022. Despite the popularity of Matt Ryan's comic book-accurate Constantine in the Arrowverse and DC's animated movies, and J.J. Abrams initially planning a new Constantine series for Max, Reeves' return as the demonologist in Constantine 2 is in the works.

Constantine director Francis Lawrence will be back for the sequel if it happens, with Titans co-creator Akiva Goldsman penning Constantine 2's script. The movie has received a string of positive updates since it was originally announced, with Reeves confirming talks with Gunn about Constantine 2 and Goldsman revealing that he, Reeves, and Lawrence have already broken the story for the film. That said, with DC going all-in on Gunn's shared DC Universe, the movie could end up falling through the cracks, especially due to what Constantine 2 would need to do to get made.

James Gunn's Elseworlds Comments Set A High Standard For Constantine 2 Hopes

While Gunn's new DC Universe will be the comic book giant's main focus going forward, DC Studios will not completely forget about standalone projects such as Constantine 2, with DC's new Elseworlds label. According to the DCU's creative chief, the Elseworlds label will be used for DC to continue telling stories outside the DC Universe's canon; however, "The bar for Elseworlds tales is going to be higher than the bar for something within DCU."

Gunn continued to explain what it would need for a project to be made under DC's new Elseworlds label, saying, "It's got to be something really special for us to tell that story outside of our regular continuity, and to spend the money on it to make it.” Gunn's comments create a very high standard for Reeves' Constantine 2 to reach in order to be made. While there is a chance that Constantine 2 might be dropped despite all the positive updates so far if it fails to reach the target set by Gunn, the DC Studios co-CEO's comments can be promising for the film.

Why The DCU's Elseworlds Bar Makes Constantine 2 Even More Promising

Gunn's words, while challenging, mean that Constantine 2 would have to be excellent to be made, which is good news for those waiting for the Hellblazer's return to the big screen. Following the Oscar-winning Joker, DC's Elseworlds will include the release of the Joker: Folie à Deux. Matt Reeves' beloved standalone Batman universe will also continue, with multiple projects like The Batman - Part II and Max's The Penguin on the way. Those projects show the high bar that DC's Elseworlds will be using to analyze possible releases, which means that Constantine 2 — if it makes it to theaters — should be one of the studio's most exciting future films.