It seems as though everybody wants to get into the Keanu Reeves business these days. Even after 35 years in the industry, the actor has arguably never been more popular than he is right now, with 2019 delivering one of the most memorable years of his career as he became the Internet’s new favorite movie star, as well as featuring in blockbuster hits John Wick: Chapter 3 and Toy Story 4.
The 55 year-old is staying firmly in the franchise business for the time being, too, with Bill and Ted Face the Music set for next year, a release date already pencilled in for the fourth installment in the John Wick series and The Matrix 4 in development. The next step seems likely to be a role in a comic book movie then, given recent reports that Marvel Studios approach Reeves for virtually every one of their projects, along with rumors that rivals DC are also desperate to secure his services.
However, it would appear that DC and Warner Bros. may have the advantage, with the Speed and Point Break star already having worked with them before in 2005’s Constantine. The movie was a decent-sized hit at the box office, earning over $230 million, and has gone on to enjoy a second life as a cult favorite among fans of the genre. And it now seems as if WB are eager to get Reeves back to reprise the role.
We told you a few months ago that the studio was looking into having the mega popular actor return to play the antihero and speaking to our sources over the weekend – the same ones who told us a Green Lantern TV show was coming to HBO Max and that Black Adam will be in Shazam! 3, both of which we now know to be true – we’ve learned that WB is still hopeful that Reeves will reprise the part. And with the DCEU undergoing something of a creative renaissance recently, getting the actor involved certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.
As well as capitalizing on Reeves’ sky-high popularity, an occult-tinged detective story would also diversify the studio’s portfolio of comic book properties while still building on an already-established brand, with Keanu even admitting in the past that he would be keen to reprise the role. Furthermore, from what we’re told, if Reeves were to return to the fold at DC, it could work along the lines of how Ryan Reynolds has handled Deadpool.
After originally starring as Wade Wilson in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Reynolds rebooted the character and featured as an all-new version of the Merc with a Mouth in two solo outings, with Deadpool set to undergo yet another soft reboot now that he’s part of the MCU. And while it’s still early days yet and this is far from set in stone, a similar approach could certainly work for Constantine. Let’s just hope Reeves is able to find some time in his schedule to slip back into the role.
