Matt Ryan has had a wild ride as John Constantine, starting over on NBC before turning up on Arrow and then migrating over to Legends of Tomorrow. Now, however, Ryan's journey as Constantine is nearly at an end, nearly seven years after it began with the Constantine series premiere in fall 2014. The character has had some highs and lows during his time as a Legend starting back in Season 3, but there is one thing that Ryan didn't want for him in his big exit: a happy ending.
While most actors might hold out for their characters to get a happy ending, especially if they've been inhabiting that role for a long time, that wasn't the case with Matt Ryan and John Constantine. With the Season 6 finale a little over a week away for the big farewell to Constantine, Ryan spoke to TVLine about what kind of ending he wanted to give him:
The most important thing for me was for him to go out in a way that’s very John Constantine, for him to get back somewhat to his roots… Everybody was so up for that. I thought they did such an amazing job with Episode 13, which felt like I was shooting a movie because of the way we shot it, and the boldness of the writers and the directors and the studio [in] making it so bloody and graphic was really, really great. I feel like the sendoff that they’ve given the character is great, obviously, within the context of the show. I just didn’t want him to have a happy ending. Don’t give John Constantine a happy ending! No, he’s got to f—k it up!
Constantine may have changed and grown over his years as a Legend, but even spending several seasons dealing with the bonkers twists and turns of Legends of Tomorrow didn't make him fully forget who he was before. Matt Ryan evidently didn't want Constantine to ride off into the sunset, or seemingly even anything as bittersweet as the endings that Ray Palmer and Amaya received, although it remains to be seen just how the show really does wrap his story. Maybe it won't be altogether unhappy!
That said, it seems likely that Constantine's ending won't be quite as open-ended as the likes of Ray Palmer, as proven by the fact that Brandon Routh is returning to his role after being written out of Legends of Tomorrow in Season 5. Matt Ryan is sticking around, but Constantine isn't. News broke earlier in the summer that while Constantine is leaving the Legends, Ryan will be back in Season and 7 as a new character: a 20th century doctor by the name of Dr. Gwyn Davies who the Legends will have to rely on.
Sure, Legends had two Zaris around for a while, but Matt Ryan seems ready to close the door on Constantine, without a happy ending. Still, that doesn't mean fans should 100% count on Constantine dying in the upcoming Season 6 finale, or anything equally tragic. Back at the panel for Legends of Tomorrow at SDCC@Home, the actor said:
As everyone who loves him knows, in the end, John Constantine will walk his path alone. The time has come for John to part ways with the Legends, and for me to part ways with John. I’m really excited to be creating this new role on the show and having some fun with it — discovering how this new character fits in and causes some trouble for the Legends.
John Constantine can't very well "walk his path alone" and "part ways with the Legends" if he's dead, right?! After Matt Ryan made his debut on a Constantine solo series on NBC that got the axe, made what was supposed to be a one-off guest appearance on Arrow, landed a recurring role on Legends of Tomorrow, and then fit in with the whackiness so surprisingly well that he was bumped up to series regular, it would be a shame if fans were left without any hope at all for Constantine.
There are still a couple episodes of Season 6 left before the final credits roll on Constantine and Matt Ryan gets into gear to play a new character, so be sure to keep tuning in to Legends of Tomorrow on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW to find out what happens next. Interestingly, Legends won't actually be off the air that long following the finale, as the hiatus between seasons will last only a little over a month. Season 7 will premiere in the fall TV lineup on October 13, making a change in time slot from Sundays to Wednesdays.
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