Constantine: First Official Image Released

Last night, the Internet fell in love with Matt Ryan's depiction of John Constantine, the DC/Vertigo mystic and huckster at the center of NBC's Constantine pilot. While the Welsh actor and the rest of the cast and crew presumably had permission from the network to send photos to the Slates for Sarah Facebook page (where it quickly went viral), Warner Bros. Television have just released the first truly official image of Ryan in character as John Constantine. "I've been a fan of John Constantine since he was first introduced in 1985. This Constantine, envisioned by Neil Marshall and embodied by Matt Ryan, looks like he sprang directly from the comics' covers. Fans old and new are going to be in for a treat," said executive producer David S. Goyer. Looking a bit more slick and posed, this image may not get hardcore fans as enthusiastic as last night's -- and while there's smoke all around, there's still no sign of Constantine's signature chain-smoking habit. In the pilot, Constantine follows enigmatic and irreverent Liverpool con-man-turned-occult-detective John Constantine, who is reluctantly thrust into the role of defending our world against dark forces from beyond. It's based on the long-running DC/Vertigo series John Constantine: Hellblazer and the current New 52 ongoing Constantine. The Constantine pilot is executive produced by Daniel Cerone (The Mentalist, Dexter) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knightfilms, Man of Steel). Neil Marshall (The Descent, Game of Thrones) is directing from a teleplay by Daniel Cerone, with story by Daniel Cerone & David S. Goyer. The pilot started production earlier this week.