James Gunn Leaves DCU's Darkest Hero in Limbo Despite Stephen Amell's Arrowverse Push

John Constantine is one of those characters who never stays buried for long. He got axed after one season on NBC, popped up on Arrow like it was nothing, and then quietly became a fan-favorite again on Legends of Tomorrow. And now people are wondering: if James Gunn is rebuilding DC on screen, why isn’t Constantine already part of the plan?

How Arrow rescued Constantine (and made it work)

Back in May 2015, NBC canceled Matt Ryan’s Constantine after just 13 episodes. Frustrating, because the show was finally finding its groove. Stephen Amell later told fans at Wizard World Philly (via ComicBook) that Arrow and Constantine were actually supposed to cross over, but the NBC cancellation killed it.

Amell and Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim didn’t let it die there. They pushed to bring Ryan’s occult detective into the Arrowverse, which already had mystical stuff baked in (Lazarus Pit, anyone?). The result: Season 4’s episode 'Haunted,' where Ryan returned as John Constantine, trench coat and all. Guggenheim made it official at the time in a statement to IGN:

'We are thrilled to have Matt Ryan reprise the role of John Constantine on an upcoming episode of Arrow. Matt is an incredibly talented actor and his portrayal of this beloved character was always something we admired. The introduction of magic and mysticism on the show this season has provided a truly organic opportunity for us to bring John Constantine to Arrow and the CW’s DC universe.'

That one-off went over well enough that Ryan later moved to DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, first as a guest and then as a full-on series regular. The Arrowverse didn’t just cameo him; it gave the character a second life.

So where’s Constantine in the DCU?

Short answer: nowhere official yet. Gunn and Peter Safran mapped out a new DCU slate in 2023, and while Swamp Thing made the cut, there’s been zero concrete DCU news about Constantine. Some fans read that as Gunn ghosting the character. Fair read or not, it’s true that nothing public has moved forward with Constantine in the rebooted continuity.

Also, to clear up the chatter: despite occasional rumor storms about corporate shakeups — including talk of Netflix or Paramount making a play for Warner Bros. Discovery — there’s been no official announcement that WBD was acquired by anyone, and nothing formal tying that to the fate of the DCU. As of now, Gunn is still the guy steering the film/TV ship at DC Studios.

Why the DCU should make room for him

Constantine isn’t just a cool coat and a smug grin. He’s a doorway to DC’s weirder, darker corner — the stuff that lives really well alongside the capes and planets. And yes, this is also the kind of messy, damaged protagonist Gunn tends to nail.

• Opens the occult lane: Justice League Dark, Hellblazer arcs, and characters like Zatanna, Deadman, and Swamp Thing suddenly become natural fits.
• Tonal variety: Constantine’s grimy horror vibe balances the brighter, quippier side of the DCU.
• Continuity flexibility: You can reboot the character or nod to prior versions without breaking anything.
• Audience signal: Tells fans the DCU isn’t just superheroes punching each other under sunlight at noon.
• Proven appeal: Ryan’s Arrowverse run showed there’s real appetite for this flavor when you actually commit to it.

The Arrowverse footnote (and where to watch)

If you want to revisit how this all played out: Arrow ran 8 seasons, created by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg, with Stephen Amell leading the cast alongside Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, and Emily Bett Rickards. It sits at 7.5/10 on IMDb, and in the U.S., Arrow is available to stream on Netflix.

Bottom line

The Arrowverse proved Constantine slots cleanly into live-action DC when you embrace the supernatural and let him be the bastard with a heart he’s supposed to be. If the DCU wants range — and a shortcut into Justice League Dark territory — it’s hard to think of a better, faster way than lighting a cigarette and calling John.