What makes DC’s Legends of Tomorrow so great? Is it the swashbuckling adventures? The ragtag team of misfits? The undeniable chemistry and love amongst the team members? Yes. Yes to all of that! With the action-packed exploits, tender moments of love — both romantic and familial — The CW series hits all the right notes to keep audiences entertained. Which is why we are so excited by the prospects of Constantine joining the show.
After battling an immortal warrior, a speedster, and a demon, not to mention Nazis from Earth X, saving Helen of Troy, and befriending Jonah Hex, the team could use a helping hand on their next missions. While the Legends have never been more solid, their new foes might be a little out of their wheelhouse. In Season 4, as magic prevails, John Constantine is stepping foot on the Wave Rider and he couldn’t be a better fit.
The Embodiment of Constantine
Matt Ryan has been embodying this character since the original solo Constantine series premiered in 2014 on NBC. He gave viewers 13 episodes of angels and demons, curses and possessions, and of course, cigarettes. Ryan reprised the role in Arrow Season 4 Episode 5 “Haunted” as well as the CW Seed animated series Constantine: City of Demons. Meaning, not only has this actor been living and breathing John Constantine, but he’s passionate about keeping this role on our screens and fully diving into his story.
And if that weren’t enough, like the character of Constantine himself, Ryan is from the UK, which means he gets to use his natural accent (sorry Mick, Amaya, and Jax). Forget Keanu Reeves’ Constantine, Ryan’s version embraces the characteristics set forth in the comics, including his bisexuality. Viewers were given a glimpse of it when he first graced the Waverider, but now that Sara and Ava are pretty much settled down, it’s time to move on and ship Constantine with EVERYONE!
The Magical Mind of Constantine
While some like to keep their science-fiction separate from fantasy, the Arrowverse prefers to combine and explore both genres, especially on Legends of Tomorrow. Last season launched the magical side for Legends with Damien Darhk and the demon Mallus. But Damien wasn’t the only magical Darhk, he introduced our Legends to his daughter Nora who is set to play a huge part in the upcoming season.
Enter Constantine, occultly experienced lone wolf who is ready take on the magical side of DC. With his addition to the team, the Legends will receive another badass character, but also someone who is informed about and is an expert on the occult and witchcraft. The team is full of brawn but sometimes lacks brains. Yes, Nate is a diligent historian, and Ray is the expert in the sciences, but when it comes to magic, they need John and his array of mystical knowledge.
The Isolation of Constantine
As for the lone wolf aspect of Constantine, he’s amongst peers. The Waverider has always been inhabited by people who prefer to go it alone. It wasn’t until Rip Hunter gathered them that most of our Legends became a family. Remember when Sara came aboard? And now she’s captain! While Constantine is set in his ways, and “notoriously doesn’t work well in a team”, over time, just as the others have found that they work better together, hopefully, John Constantine will discover this about himself too.
The addition of John really presents a whole slew of wonderful opportunities and engaging storylines. Ryan himself spoke about the upcoming interactions between Constantine and the team, noting “these are relationships that have not been explored in the comic books, so they’re all being discovered for the first time“. Which means viewers may get to see him challenge Sara’s leadership, become either besties, enemies, or frenemies with the hothead Mick Rory, and probably get quickly annoyed by boy-scout Ray Palmer’s incessant interest in understanding magic. Regardless, the Waverider is about to become incredibly exciting and a lot more magical!