‘Constantine: City Of Demons’ Behind-The-Scenes First Look Released

CW Seed and IGN teamed up today to release an extended “first look” video from behind the scenes of Constantine: City of Demons, the forthcoming animated series starring Matt Ryan in his role as the Arrowverse’s resident demonologist.

Along with footage from the series, which will begin airing on CW Seed this weekend, the first look includes interviews with Ryan, who originated the role of Constantine in 2014 with his own self-titled NBC series. After that show was cancelled, Constantine made an appearance on Arrow before disappearing for a couple more years. Earlier this season, he popped up on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, on which he will make his third appearance in April.

Per Ryan, the story of the City of Demons animated series will be loosely based on All His Engines, a 2005 graphic novel from Mike Carey and Leonardo Manco. Warner Bros. TV is no stranger to Carey, whose work on Lucifer heavily influenced the FOX series of the same name.

The story centered on a mysterious magical force that was dragging its victims into comas, including Chas’s daughter, and Constantine was brought in to try and bring her back. An episode of NBC’s Constantine series was also loosely based on All His Engines.

This could be the first indication that the Constantine TV series does not share a universe with the Arrowverse, as fans had previously assumed given Ryan’s involvement with both. It is also theoretically plausible that Constantine: City of Demons is not canonical within the Arrowverse and Constantine is, but that seems less likely since the Vixen and Freedom Fighters: The Ray series on CW Seed are both officially set in the same universe as Arrow.

Matt Ryan also played the role of Constantine in Justice League Dark, an animated movie not set in the Arrowverse.

It is equally likely that this is an in-universe retcon, and that this is a flashback story that re-explains “Quid Pro Quo,” the episode in which All His Engines was adapted.

Constantine: City of Demons will be available to stream on CW Seed starting this weekend.

Matt Ryan will appear as Jon Constantine in the April 9 season finale of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and if that series is picked up for a fourth season, Ryan’s Constantine will return as a series regular.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow airs on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.