Constantine may have only had a single season on NBC, but he’s getting a second chance on CW Seed starting March 24, 2018! Earlier today, CW Seed revealed plans for a Constantine animated series, with Matt Ryan reprising his role as John Constantine. The live-action Constantine series is also streaming on CW Seed, and the animated series may be our best chance to see some of that show’s unresolved plotlines get some closure.
That said, the Constantine animated series is only going to be ten episodes long, with a running time of five to six minutes per episode. That really doesn’t leave much room to address everything, but there’s always the potential for future animated seasons, as long as there’s a willingness to continue the new series.
We’ve come up with a list of things that we’d love to see addressed in the new animated revival. If you haven’t seen the first season of Constantine, there are some major spoilers ahead for that show! You’ve been warned!
Manny is Evil, Now What?
Throughout the first season of Constantine, Harold Perrineau’s jerkish angel, Manny, was John’s closest ally in Heaven and his guide in the battle against the Rising Darkness of the Brujeria. According to John, the Brujeria have existed since the beginning of creation and not even Hell gave them refuge during the Great Flood.
While Manny alerted John to the threat of the Brujeria, the final episode of Constantine (which would have been the mid-season finale if the show had been picked up a full season) revealed that Manny was not only in league with the Brujeria, they were working for him! That suggests that John has been unwittingly serving Manny’s agenda, and we’ve got to see what happens when he eventually figures out the truth.
The Final Battle With the Brujeria
We can assume from John’s guest appearance on Arrow that the world didn’t actually end. But that doesn’t mean that the battle against the Brujeria shouldn’t be the major storyline of the new animated series. Remember, the Brujeria were creatures that even angels and demons feared, and they were somehow weakening the barriers between Hell and Earth.
There’s no doubt that John Constantine would ultimately prevail, but his victories always come with a price. And we expect this one to be pretty costly.
The Fate of Zed
One of the running subplots of the first season was that Constantine’s psychic ally, Zed Martin, was slowly dying because of a brain tumor that may have been linked to her spiritual gifts. Manny seemed to encourage her decision to leave the tumor in place, but after the revelation of his true agenda, that’s not exactly a comforting thought.
That also suggests that Manny intends to use Zed’s talents for his own purposes. However, Zed has proven herself to be capable of stepping out of John’s shadow and she may even be the key to humanity’s survival. The real question is whether she can survive the coming war with the Rising Darkness.
Papa Midnight’s Revenge
John Constantine and the deadly vodun shaman known as Papa Midnight crossed paths several times in the first season, as their mutual enmity deepened. Papa Midnight clearly seems to be looking for some serious payback, and he’s currently the only one who knows Manny’s true agenda. Somehow, we don’t think he’s inclined to share that information with John. But Papa Midnight’s eventual revenge on his rival is likely to be very personal…when it finally happens.
Who Will Betray John?
Another lingering thread comes directly from Hell, courtesy of Papa Midnight’s dead sister. She told her brother that someone close to John would betray him in the battle against the Rising Darkness. While Manny’s betrayal could be what she was referring to, it would be more dramatic if Zed or Chas ended up turning on John. Because Manny has already been manipulating Zed, she seems to be the more likely suspect. But Chas has also proven that he can be blackmailed as well through the safety of his family.
How Many Lives Does Chas Have Left?
Speaking of Chas, his origin story in the first season revealed how and why he was seemingly immortal. Because of a spell, Chas absorbed 47 souls, which essentially gave him 47 lives. He burned through quite a few of them in the adventures we saw onscreen. So the question now is how many more souls does Chas have? And will he really die forever once the final soul is consumed?
Where’s Liv?
Remember when Lucy Griffiths’ Liv Aberdin was unceremoniously written out of the series at the end of the pilot episode? That never sat right with us. Liv also had supernatural gifts before she abandoned the fight and went into hiding. We’d love to see what happened to Liv. And if the series goes forward, there’s no reason she can’t eventually make a comeback.
The Rise of the Spectre
In an intriguing touch, Detective Jim Corrigan made several appearances on Constantine that hinted at his destiny. In DC’s comic book universe, Corrigan became the Spectre, the spirit of God’s Vengeance. On the show, Zed predicted Corrigan’s death and she even caught a glimpse of the Spectre himself. And while the Spectre could be an ally against the Rising Darkness, he’s also extremely dangerous. His emergence could cause John more problems than it solves.
Dangerous Habits
The TV series established that John was a heavy smoker even if it rarely showed him holding a cigarette. In the comics, John eventually discovered he had lung cancer…and he came up with an elaborate con to save his life by pitting the powers of Hell against each other. The “Dangerous Habits†storyline is still one of the greatest Constantine tales, and we’d love to see it adapted in a future season of the animated revival.
Constantine in Hell?
John Constantine made a one-and-done appearance on Arrow in its fourth season, but the show kept referring back to him. One of the last times he was mentioned, Oliver Queen said that Constantine was literally in Hell. Now, that’s a story we want to see!
Which plotlines would you like to see explored in the Constantine animated series? Let us know in the comment section below!
Images: CW Seed/Warner Bros. TV/DC Comics
