It seems like the CW’s animated Constantine series will be darker than the previous live-action show that aired on NBC in 2014-2015. Fans were upset when NBC cancelled the show. Matt Ryan managed to make the role of Constantine his own, and it didn’t take very long for him to make his way to the Arrowverse. When CW finally announced a new Constantine series, it took a different format. They revealed that they were working on an animated series of six 10-minute episodes, similar in vein to their Vixen series on CW Seed.
The CW Executive Vice President Peter Girardi gave fans an idea of what to expect while he was speaking at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. He confirmed that this is “Constantine from the Vertigo comics,” and described it as “darker than the show.” In his view, the expected audience will be older than that for the previous CW Seed series Vixen. He couldn’t help saying that it would be up to “responsible parents” to decide whether or not to let their children watch the Constantine animated series.
It sure does sound like the Constantine animated series will have a greater sense of scale to it than anything fans have seen before. Girardi pointed out that he has to ask one simple question: “Why does this need to be animated?” While live-action series have budgetary constraints, an animated show can get away with mystic effects that are infinitely more eye-popping. Girardi jokingly described it as “pencil power.”
The main question here is whether or not the Constantine animated series will tie into the Arrowverse. The Vixen series did, but Girardi implied that was more of a happy accident. This time he notes that his team has a “strategy around it,” which involves close communication with Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim. That certainly creates the opportunity for more deliberate tie-ins, but Girardi was careful not to give a guarantee.
Constantine has played an important role in the Arrowverse, teaming up with Oliver Queen to restore the soul of Sara Lance. He’s most recently teamed up with the Legends, requesting Sara pay back the debt she owed him. Fans are eager to see Constantine return. Ryan could easily star in a relaunched series, or join up with the Legends. It will be interesting to see whether or not the CW Seed animated series lays the foundation for Constantine’s return.
