TheArrow-verseuniverse may or may not still have need for occult sleuth John Constantine (played byMatt Ryan), but at the very least the character is returning later this year for a new DC animated movie. As shown in the firstJustice League Darktrailer, complete with interviews with the cast and crew, the magic users of the comic book universe come together to fight a threat the traditional Justice League is ill-equipped to handle.
“I really wanted to jump into this project to play Constantine in a different context,” Ryan says, “around some of the iconic characters that are in the DC Dark world.”
The first footage isn’t fully complete and uses storyboard art to fill in the blanks, but it shows Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Dead Man, the Demon Etrigan, and even Black Orchid in an origin story as they attempt to form a supernatural-fighting force. While some core Justice League members, like Superman and John Stewart’s Green Lantern, appear in the film, they are not the main focus.
According to the cast and crew, we see the story through the lens of Batman, voiced again byJason O’Mara. The Dark Knight is skeptical of magic, even when he sees the evidence in front of him. Nevertheless, he still needs the magic-powered heroes to fight what he cannot. Watch the trailer below:
Though the villain isn’t mentioned by name, the trailer shows footage of a character that definitely looks like the sorcerer Felix Faust, the same way he looked in the animatedJustice LeagueTV series. What’s also familiar is this idea of using runes to display the heroes’ magic. We’re seeing that already implemented by directorScott Derricksonfor Marvel’s live-actionDoctor Strange, andJustice League Dark, too, teases a bit of a horror element to its superhero universe.
Guillermo Del Toropreviouslyexpressed interestin making a live-actionJustice League Darkfilm, though developments have been slow moving as the film may no longer fit into Warner Bros. plan for the DC universe. However, hope remains asSuicide Squad, hitting theaters this August 5, will introduce the evil sorceress Enchantress.
