‘The Mosquito Bowl’ Star Bill Skarsgård Wanted to Play John Constantine, and He Already Had the Perfect Director in Mind
Bill Skarsgård has spent the better part of a decade making audiences squirm. Between Pennywise in ‘It’, Count Orlok in ‘Nosferatu’ and his return to the clown in ‘It: Welcome to Derry’, he has built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s go-to creature actors. That track record has fans constantly wondering where his superhero ambitions might land.
The speculation has been loud. Skarsgård was rumored to be in the running for both Lex Luthor and Professor X, and in July an industry insider reported that he and Tom Pelphrey were being considered for Marvel’s ‘X-Men’ reboot. In August, Marvel cast Christopher Abbott as Charles Xavier, which put an end to that particular rumor.
Skarsgård has now addressed the chatter on Josh Horowitz’s podcast. He said he never read any scripts, had only a meeting with director Jake Schreier, and that it never got close to a big role. Then he revealed the comic book part he wishes he had gotten: DC’s supernatural trickster John Constantine.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Skarsgård said the character simply struck him as cool. He had even dreamed up a project with his ‘It’ director, saying, “I had an idea that Andy Muschietti and I could do Constantine.”
His reasoning was less about the trench coat and more about tone. He saw the character as a way to blend genuinely visual horror with superhero storytelling, a mix that sits squarely in the territory both he and Muschietti have already mastered.
It is easy to see why the pairing appeals. Muschietti directed Skarsgård in both ‘It’ films and has been closely involved with ‘It: Welcome to Derry’, where Skarsgård also serves as an executive producer.
The timing of the comments is hardly random. Deadline reported that Francis Galluppi, the writer-director of ‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’, will write a new ‘Constantine’ movie for DC Studios. No star or director has been announced, and Skarsgård is not attached to the project.
Fans have long wanted a follow-up to the 2005 ‘Constantine’ starring Keanu Reeves. This new project is not that sequel, and DC is expected to reinvent the character for a new generation. John Constantine was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and John Totleben and first appeared in ‘Saga of the Swamp Thing’ #37 in 1985.
There is also a scheduling wrinkle. Muschietti is expected to direct ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ for DC Studios, which could keep him busy for a while. Skarsgård has previously said that Batman was his superhero growing up, so the DC universe clearly holds a special place in his heart.
The same conversation also touched on fatherhood. Skarsgård admitted that he sometimes brings out the Pennywise voice when his kids misbehave, and that his ‘Nosferatu’ character can occasionally “pop in” as well. It is a funny reminder of just how deeply these roles have seeped into his life.
For now, Skarsgård’s Constantine idea remains a fun what-if rather than a casting announcement. DC’s version is in very early development, and nothing suggests the studio has circled anyone for the part.
Still, the fan appeal of the idea is hard to deny. A actor famous for playing monsters stepping into the shoes of a chain-smoking exorcist would be a natural marriage of talent and material. Whether DC ever picks up the phone is another question entirely.
Would you like to see Bill Skarsgård play John Constantine in DC’s new movie?
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