Legends of Tomorrow: Phil Klemmer on Constantine’s Relationship with Astra

Legends of Tomorrow is a handful of episodes into its fifth season, and it’s already putting its ragtag ensemble of characters through the emotional wringer. That’s definitely appearing to be the case for John Constantine (Matt Ryan), who had to deal with his guilt in regards to Astra Logue (Olivia Swann), the little girl he damned to Hell who went on to become one of its leaders. During a recent Q&A with press, Legends of Tomorrow co-showrunner Phil Klemmer dove into how that dynamic will evolve throughout the season, and how John’s “savior complex” is going to get in the way to an extent.

“John clearly has a savior complex, and he’s very comfortable saving little girls who’ve been damned to hell,” Klemmer explained. “And it’s just been fun to immediately put him on his heels with [Astra being] like, ‘I know I’m a little girl, I do not want saving, if you want to fix yourself do that on your own time, but I’m doing great down here.’ And it’s just like, ‘I didn’t go through all the trouble of surviving just to have you pluck me out of here, in a place that now I’m acclimated to this world where I’m a shark, I swim with sharks and if that keeps you from sleeping at night John, that’s your problem, I can’t help you.’”

Given the fact that Astra is currently in control of the “Encores” – historical figures who have gone through Hell and reemerged throughout history – it’s safe to assume her new lease on life will directly affect the rest of the Legends.

“In the finale, we are going to see a terribly nuanced version of Astra,” Klemmer told ComicBook.com last year. “She, unlike most people in Hell, isn’t going to appear evil through and through. Should we have the chance to continue the story next season, there’s a flipside to the coin of this girl — now woman — who resents him and had been corrupted by her experience. She blames him for everything that went wrong in her life. Again, I feel like there’s a chance to get underneath all that. For us, it’s just always about revealing new sides of these characters that you think you know inside and out.”

“I never would have thought that John Constantine would fit in with the Legends and onboard the Waverider, but I think for next season, we want to keep digging deep on this guy, because obviously he feels pretty bottomless,” Klemmer added. “He’s a bottomless pit of darkness, but also, there’s no end to the pathos and the tragedy. There is such a pure impulse to what John does. Beneath all the self-loathing, he’s such noble man. I guess that’s why we keep wanting to know what happens next, because it’s like he’s endlessly fascinating.”

Are you excited to see how John and Astra’s relationship will further evolve on Legends of Tomorrow? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Legends of Tomorrow airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.