Guillermo del Toro’s Lost DC Film: Constantine, Batman, and a Dark Universe

Guillermo del Toro has finally shed some light on his abandoned Justice League Dark project, giving fans a peek at what might have been if the film had made it to screens. The acclaimed director, known for his love of the weird and wonderful, recently spoke about the characters and storylines he had in mind for his take on the DC universe. At the heart of the film would have been John Constantine, the chain-smoking occult detective, leading a team of supernatural heroes.

Del Toro described his vision for the film’s main character, saying,

“It was John Constantine, and the plot made absolute sense, perfect sense,”

during a chat on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. He went on,

“I loved that screenplay. I was in love with that screenplay. I thought it brought everybody in effortlessly, you know.”

The director’s enthusiasm for the script was clear, and he seemed genuinely disappointed that the project never got off the ground.

Batman’s Brief Appearance and Villainous Plans

One of the more intriguing details del Toro revealed was his plan to include a short appearance from Gotham’s most famous vigilante.

“There was a moment where Batman came in briefly. They said, ‘We need a plane,’ and he said, ‘I know a friend of mine has a plane.’ and then you were in Bruce Wayne’s office. You know I would have loved to have done that, but now I wouldn’t, you know.”

It’s a classic bit of understated humour, and a nod to the interconnected world of DC’s heroes.

Del Toro also had big plans for the film’s antagonists.

“We had the Floronic Man was one of the villains, and it was really great because Swamp Thing was very fleshed out.”

The inclusion of these characters would have given the film a strong supernatural flavour, setting it apart from the more traditional superhero fare.

The Team That Never Was

Back in 2013, word got out that del Toro was set to adapt the Justice League Dark comics, which follow a group of heroes tackling supernatural threats that the regular Justice League can’t handle. The line-up was set to include John Constantine, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Deadman, and Etrigan. The working title for the film was Dark Universe, and while no one was officially cast, del Toro had his eye on Doug Jones for the role of Deadman.

“Physically, I could do the suit, and I know his mannerisms and all that.”

Jones, a frequent collaborator, seemed a natural fit for the part.

At one point, Doug Liman, known for The Bourne Identity, was also attached to direct. Despite the promising team and concept, the film never made it past the planning stage, with del Toro moving on to other projects like Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water.

Studio Shifts and Missed Opportunities

So why did Justice League Dark never see the light of day? The timing wasn’t ideal. As Zack Snyder’s vision for the DC universe started to take shape, the studio became more rigid about how new projects would fit into the expanding franchise. Del Toro admitted his film would have needed to slot into the new extended universe, which may have been a sticking point.

With James Gunn now at the helm of DC Studios, there’s a bit more flexibility in how characters and stories are handled. Del Toro, for his part, had kind words for Gunn’s approach, especially his work on Superman and the new direction for the DCU: Chapter One. Still, del Toro isn’t currently involved in any DC projects, leaving fans to wonder what could have been if his vision for Justice League Dark had come to life.