Assassin's Creed IV Actor Matt Ryan Cast as John Constantine

[MarlaDesat]

Assassin's Creed IV Actor Matt Ryan Cast as John Constantine

Constantine, the upcoming NBC series based on the DC Comics character, will star Matt Ryan as the cynical occult detective.

greenlit the pilot [http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/matt-ryan-nbc-dc-constantine/] in January. No other cast members have been announced. Ryan is known for his role on Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and as the voice of Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

Deadline describes NBC's John Constantine as "a working-class Londoner with rakish good looks, scruffy blond hair, deadpan humor, and signature trench coat, who has been studying the dark arts since he was a teenager." This description is much closer to Constantine's appearance in the Hellblazer and Constantine comic books than the 2005 film starring Keanu Reeves. Constantine first appeared in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, and later got his own title in DC's Vertigo line. In 2012, Constantine joined DC's <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/120570-John-Constantine-Joins-DCs-New-52-Roster>The New 52 roster. Notably missing from the NBC description is Constantine's chain-smoking habit, which fans have speculated would not make it into the television adaptation.

David S. Goyer, who wrote Man of Steel, will serve as executive producer for Constantine, and co-wrote the pilot with Daniel Cerone. Cerone's credits include writing for The Mentalist and Dexter. Goyer has written several DC adaptations for film, including co-writing credits on The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and the upcoming Batman vs. Superman.

DC's Arrow television series has been successful, and DC is looking to expand its television presence. Afterall, DC has Marvel's Agents of Shield and upcoming in development [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129408-Disney-Netflix-Team-Up-To-Bring-Marvels-Flawed-Heroes-To-Life] with Fox.

Source: Deadline [http://www.deadline.com/2014/02/matt-ryan-nbc-dc-constantine/]


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[cerebus23]

Out of all the sudden flux of comics stuff this actually looks the most interesting by far.

 

[Gizmo1990]

I will not judge the guy without seeing how he does but for the love of god can NBC PLEASE keep David S. Goyer a minimum of 500 miles away from the show, preferably without access to a phone or the internet to ensure he has no imput in any way or form.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

That's kind of awesome. I hope the show will be good. I don't know much about the comic book character. I only know what I've seen from that movie with Keanu Reeves. I admit I liked that movie.

 

[James Crook]

For the love of all that is unholy (see what I did there?) don't let the new Constantine be another dark-haired American... I admit I liked the Keanu Reeves rendition, but he wasn't much faithful to the comics.
Although a similar criticism could be leveraged at Arrow, a show I love, I think modifying the character's back-story and downright changing everything about him that made him iconic are very different things.
Still, I'm glad DC is getting a bigger TV presence. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been very disappointing for Marvel's live-action TV debut.

 

[Adam Locking]

Are they at least going to pronounce his name right this time around? The removal of his smoking is a bit of a downer, but I suppose I'd live.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Are they at least going to pronounce his name right this time around? The removal of his smoking is a bit of a downer, but I suppose I'd live.

How is it supposed to be pronounced? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested. My only contact with that character was the movie, and I'm not all that great with British/Irish name pronunciations (it took me forever to figure out how to pronounce Siobhan).

OT: Might be good, might be bad. I'm leaning towards "all right", due to the channel it's on, but I've been surprised before. Plus, he looks a lot more like the comic version than Keanu Reeves did, albeit being quite a bit younger.

 

[Blunderboy]

Well at least he's British this time.
Seems like a good fit.

 

[luvd1]

What you lot on about, he's too young? He's only 32. Constantine was only 35 at the start of the hellblazer books. He's one of the only comic book characters who actually aged through out his run. And as for pronunciation of his name, you can pronounce it 2 ways (constantEEn or constantIne), both are fine as it's Latin not English. At lease he's going to be English. Now accent is going to be something. I could never remember if it's supposed to be London or scouse really. I have a mix of both in my head.

 

[Wraith]

I like this, but I am dreading the impending fangirl flood. We all know that cute/handsome guy plus mysterious monsters/ mystical powers equals rabid teenage female obsession.

 

[Adam Locking]

How is it supposed to be pronounced? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested. My only contact with that character was the movie, and I'm not all that great with British/Irish name pronunciations (it took me forever to figure out how to pronounce Siobhan).

"Tyne" as opposed to "Teen". It an American vs British pronunciation, and as he's English, he goes with the former.

There was once a comics site somewhere that explained it (complete with a panel of John correcting an American character on the pronunciation) but I can't seem to find it anymore

 

[Hero in a half shell]

How is it supposed to be pronounced? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested. My only contact with that character was the movie, and I'm not all that great with British/Irish name pronunciations (it took me forever to figure out how to pronounce Siobhan).

"Tyne" as opposed to "Teen". It an American vs British pronunciation, and as he's English, he goes with the former.

There was once a comics site somewhere that explained it (complete with a panel of John correcting an American character on the pronunciation) but I can't seem to find it anymore

Ta-da!

I will not judge the guy without seeing how he does but for the love of god can NBC PLEASE keep David S. Goyer a minimum of 500 miles away from the show, preferably without access to a phone or the internet to ensure he has no imput in any way or form.

Just out of morbid interest, what exactly is the problem with this Goyer dude?

 

[Gizmo1990]

How is it supposed to be pronounced? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely interested. My only contact with that character was the movie, and I'm not all that great with British/Irish name pronunciations (it took me forever to figure out how to pronounce Siobhan).

"Tyne" as opposed to "Teen". It an American vs British pronunciation, and as he's English, he goes with the former.

There was once a comics site somewhere that explained it (complete with a panel of John correcting an American character on the pronunciation) but I can't seem to find it anymore

Ta-da!

I will not judge the guy without seeing how he does but for the love of god can NBC PLEASE keep David S. Goyer a minimum of 500 miles away from the show, preferably without access to a phone or the internet to ensure he has no imput in any way or form.

Just out of morbid interest, what exactly is the problem with this Goyer dude?

Go on Wikipedia and look at what the guy has done. For evry good thing he has done such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (Which I personaly I consider to be good at best) he has done stuff equaly as crap such as Jumper, Blade Trinity and Man of Steel.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I like this, but I am dreading the impending fangirl flood. We all know that cute/handsome guy plus mysterious monsters/ mystical powers equals rabid teenage female obsession.

Hehe. Indeed this will be a problem we are helpless to do all but avoid.

Definately will check this out as i have been waiting for some continuation since Frank Capello's film.

Although to be honest, it sounds like the bandwagon for shows of superhero movie spin offs is being well and truly crushed to the ground. Whatever pays the bills, eh? (and coke habits)

 

[Zen Bard]

I saw this quite by accident when I was looking up "Constantine" on Wikipedia after (coincidentally) watching the Keanu Reeves movie on cable last night.

Ryan seems like a good choice. I enjoyed his voice acting in "Assassin's Creed IV". He gave Kenway a selfish and cynical yet heroic and moralistic tinge.

Just the right mix of traits for "Constantine".

And as others have pointed out, at least he's British this time.

Here's hoping...

 

[Stein Inge]

I don't know...
It would have to be a younger, more innocent, less of a bastard, Constantine than in the comics.
That is not the face of one who once (spoilered for those yet to enjoy the comics).

Spoiler

- Tricked the Devil into drinking holy water, before cutting him with a broken wine bottle, to save a friend from hell.
- Cut off the archangel Gabriels wings with a chainsaw.
- Fuelled his magic by the emotional energy of christmas by digging up the corpse of st. Nicolaus and snorting his powdered bones.

The list goes on...

I just don't see that face doing those things, and I need to believe that the Constantine in the tv-show is at leat capable of doing these things or else he wouldn't be Constantine.

 

[FalloutJack]

Let this monstrous fetus die before it's born.

Funny, that's what they said about John!

OT: Seeing is believing. I've read alot of Hellblazer. If it turns out to be a crafty blonde British magician who oftentimes finds situations spiraling swiftly out of control and people dying before he can put a lid on it, then it just might turn out to be a good show.

Fingers crossed.

 

[sXeth]

Ryan?s John Constantine is a ?master of the occult? who?s haunted by his past but finds himself suddenly called upon to defend humanity from the gathering forces of darkness

Well, it took all of a sentence from NBC to show they don't grasp the character, and want to make him a generic superhero type. To borrow from my dungeons and dragons lore, is it just too hard to grasp that Constantine is neutral moreso then good? He wants humans to do their own thing, he's not some chosen one on the side of heaven fighting hell (or whatever "darkness").