Matt Ryan is going to be a hellblazer in CONSTANTINE

If ever there was one comic book property that was perfect for primetime TV, it had to be Hellblazer: John Constantine. Magic, mysteries and a con artist who managed to trick the devil himself, Constantine has always been one of my favourite experts of the occult.

But let’s face it, his big screen debut in 2004 was a tad underwhelming, due to him being portrayed by Keanu Reeves, who is terrible in any role. You’re going to need to do a lot better than that for the successor TV series. And fortunately, NBC has found their master mage.

Deadline reports that Welsh actor Matt Ryan will be casting a hex or two in the upcoming series, which is being written by Man of Steel and Dark Knight scribe David Goyer. For those of you who are unaware of the comic, Hellblazer followed the adventures of one John Constantine, an expert in the occult who pissed off everyone between Heaven, Hell and beyond. London was his haunt of choice, and ol’ Constantine had quite a few skeletons in his closet. Matt “Criminal Minds” Ryan has acted in plenty of shows and productions, and the man has some serious talent so already this project is off to a good start.

Despite being one of the most powerful mages on the planet, Constantine relies more on his wits than his talents, and has managed to outwit demons, angels and prime evils. The thing is, Constantine is anything but a hero and hanging around the streetwise wizard is likely to get you killed.

NBC is hitting the pilot route first, so hopefully, this is one show that gets picked up.

Last Updated: February 24, 2014