Exclusive: Matt Ryan Responds To ‘Constantine’ Revival And ‘Justice League Dark’
Fans refuse to let “Constantine” die and actor Matt Ryan is ready for a resurrection.
While attending the 2016 New York Comic Con, Matt Ryan was hounded with questions about “Constantine” being revived. Many were able to satiate their appetite given that Matt would be reprising the role once again in “Justice League Dark.” While it’s not the live action Constantine that some desire, Matt Ryan and fans were thrilled nonetheless.
In our interview with Matt we discussed Constantine from all angles. From the series cancellation, to his cameo on “Arrow,” and now his voice work in “Justice League Dark.” We wanted to know what Matt knew himself, where he would like to see his character go, and the pros and cons of voice acting versus live action.
First off we wanted to know about coming back to the role of Constantine through a different medium. With the DC animated film “Justice League Dark” coming in early 2017, Matt lends his voice to the character.
“Oh, it’s great man! It’s a pleasure to kind of dust off the trench coat. Although I didn’t really wear one because I was in a booth the whole time. But yeah, such a great three dimensional character that I loved playing when we did the TV show and bringing him back for ‘Arrow’ and now getting to explore him in this medium as well has been a real joy.”
“It’s a pleasure to kind of dust off the trench coat.”
Matt Ryan has been said to return to the role of “Constantine” for a second season via various rumors. One rumor in particular states that “Constantine” is finding a home at the CW after “The Vampire Diaries” closes. Of course we had to know Matt’s take on the rumors.
“I haven’t, no. I keep on hearing various, different rumors about things and the fans have been just fantastic. It’s been awhile since the show was cancelled but the fans are still jonesing for it. I really take my hat off to them and feel really privileged to have played such an iconic character. And then have the fans taken to me. But I’ve been lucky enough that since I’ve finished ‘Arrow’ I’ve been working on other projects. So this is the first time that I’ve had the chance to have a little break and we’ll see where the future takes us.”
“It’s been awhile since the show was cancelled but the fans are still jonesing for it.”
Some may say that Matt may be remaining silent due to contractual issues. But based on his response, I’d say to not discredit these rumors as of yet. The CW seems to be very interested in “Constantine” and would most likely accept the show based on its NBC ratings. While the ratings didn’t meet NBC standards, they are more than adequate for The CW. “Supergirl” more recently had a similar scenario where it didn’t meet CBS rating standards, but was welcomed with open arms by The CW. Not to mention that The CW offered the first season of “Constantine” available for streaming via their app. So don’t discredit those rumors as of yet…even if Matt may be out of the loop.
Finally, while the rumor pot is stirring, we inquired about the challenges of the Constantine he’s playing now. When it comes to playing an animated character in “Justice League Dark” versus a live action role, what are the pros and cons?
”Well the advantages are, as you said, you’re in a studio and with animation you can do a lot more stuff in terms with what magic you’re going to do. The disadvantages are you aren’t interacting with the actors. But I think they had such a great group of voice actors onboard for this that when you watch the movie you can’t tell that. And obviously it’s turned out really great. It’s a lot darker than I thought it would be as well.”
It was a privilege to speak with Matt Ryan given that I’m such a huge fan myself. To have found another home for Constantine with “Justice League Dark,” I’m more than excited for the release. With the excitement we saw at New York Comic Con, my guess is this could be a launching point for Matt Ryan’s return to Constantine on multiple fronts.
