A warlock, an Agent of SHIELD and a vampire walk into a Comic-Con…
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No, it’s not the beginning of a joke—it’s the who’s who of who’s attending the 2nd Canberra Comic-Con at EPIC this weekend.
Canberra cosplayers and lovers of anime, superheroes, sci-fi and fantasy are about to strut their stuff and celebrate the wonders of the wide, wondrous world of pop culture from the 5-6 August.
As well as merchandise, costume competitions and exhibitors on display, fans will be joined by special guests who have brought to life Aurora from The Originals (Rebecca Breeds), Lincoln, Agents of SHIELD (Luke Mitchell) and John Constantine from the Arrowverse (Matt Ryan).
The DC character John Constantine has a fascinating broadcast history, with lots of twist and turns. Originally introduced as essentially a background character in a popular comic by the legendary Alan Moore, this rough working-class London occult detective quickly grabbed attention and evolved a life of his own.
The character’s live-action debut was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in an outing that didn’t have the warmest of receptions, with criticism that Keanu (as much as we all love him) wasn’t the best fit for the chain-smoking, trench coat-wearing, cynical Brit.
Constantine eventually moved to the small screen in his own 2014 series, now portrayed by Matt Ryan in a performance fans of the character applauded. Sadly, the network wasn’t as enamoured, and the series was cancelled after 13 episodes.
Yet in a move fitting for a character who has entered and escaped Hell many, many times, Constantine—and Matt—wasn’t finished on our screens. A one-off appearance in the CW’s Arrow opened a door to that series’ companion show Legends of Tomorrow, becoming a hero beloved despite, or maybe because of us, his flaws and moral ambiguities.
Constantine’s heartbreaking exit from Legends hasn’t been the end of the character—well not quite. Another version of the character, now called Johanna Constantine and played by Jenna Coleman, was in the 2022 Netflix series The Sandman.
With so many Constantine versions, I keep imagining a club where Keanu Reeves, Matt and Jenna Coleman come together to share spells and a beer while they converse with demons and open portals to other worlds…
Luckily for Canberrans, we don’t need a demon portal to talk to Matt this weekend at Comic-Con. He’ll be appearing in person for a Q&A on the main stage. And although the current SAG-AFTRA strike means Matt wasn’t able to take part in a real-time interview, he kindly answered some of my burning questions in writing.
You’ve portrayed the intriguing and complex John Constantine in live-action (Constantine, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow) and in animation (DC animations) how do you go about preparing for the same role on different media?
There are techniques that need to be applied to the various mediums but ultimately the approach in terms of acting is the same.
All acting should be based on truth and from there you can adapt to the requirements of an individual medium.
John Constantine appears in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman—do you think this wiley warlock would fit into Gaiman’s Good Omens TV series? (Season 2 dropped last week on Amazon Prime).
Constantine was first introduced to the world as a bit part character in an issue of Swamp Thing in 1985 and received his first stand-alone issue of Hellblazer in 1987. I think Constantine could pop up or fit in so many different worlds, Good Omens notwithstanding.
In the comics and the Arrowverse he has very distinctive blonde hair. Is it a relief to not have to go through bleaching anymore?
Yes. When I first dyed the hair, I was excited but after months of shooting it became the only thing about playing the role that became tiresome. I had to do my roots every two weeks, hahaha.
How deep did you do into the character through the comics? Were there any features you pulled out and applied to yourself?
I studied the comics as much as possible before and during shooting. I would take reference from the panels in the comic for John’s physicality and always try to keep the character’s DNA rooted in the comics.
Is there anything at these events you look for from a fan perspective?
I love meeting fans all over the world, I come from a theatre background and relish the connection to the audience. I enjoy the feedback and interaction with the fans at Comic Cons.
You’ve attended these events globally, what strikes you about cultural significance of Comic Con and how it celebrates fandom?
Everyone who comes to these cons is there to enjoy, be free, socialise with friends new and old and connect over the things we love. It really is a wonderful celebration of a great community.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Oz Comic-Con Canberra
When: 5-6 August
Where: Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC)
More information: ozcomiccon.com/canberra
Feature image: Supplied
