Apparently, a live-action Justice League Dark film is still on Warner Brothers plans for the DC Extended Universe’s future, but we almost once had one written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, which would have been awesome.
del Toro, who is notoriously busy, had to step away from the director’s chair and other directors were considered to take over. One of those directors was prolific music video director Joseph Kahn. And part of his pitch, he partnered with design house Ironklad Studios to do up some character designs of what his vision of the JLD characters would look like. Over the weekend, these designs hit Twitter.
Just a note that these designs came early in the production process and the actor’s likenesses are nothing but wishful thinking. No contracts were signed but they might have been who Kahn would have liked to have cast if he got the job. That being said, it would have been one heck of a film if Kahn got his way.
Here are the designs:
John Constantine
Kahn would have had Beauty and the Beast’s Dan Stevens step into Keanu Reeves’ shoes as Constantine. Since Stevens is involved with Marvel’s FX series Legion at the moment, it seems like he won’t be taking over the role any time soon.
Deadman
In the comics, Deadman is Boston Brand, as circus trapeze artist who is killed and granted the ability to come back as a ghost with benefits–the benefits being the ability to take over a human host and force them to do his bidding. This character could have been a flesh and blood actor, a CGI construction, or a combination of both.
Jason Blood
Created by Jack Kirby, Jason Blood was an associate of King Arthur who had his sold forever bonded with a demon named Etrigan. The creature can enter the real world when Blood says a rhyming incantation:
Change! Change! O’ form of man!
Free the prince forever damned!
Free the might from fleshy mire!
Boil the blood in the heart for fire!
Gone! Gone! O’ form of man
Rise the demon Etrigan!
Kahn appears to have wanted Chiwetel Ejiofor for the role, which proves that he has pretty good casting instincts. However, Ejiofor is currently tied up as Baron Mordo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which makes him eventually taking over this role difficult, but not impossible.
Zatanna
Another major change from the comic is Zatanna. Zatanna is a sorceress whose spells are accessed by her speaking backwards. She uses her powers in the secret identity of a stage magician so the world will never know her true power. Her “costume” was her stage outfit-a tuxedo top with fishnets. It looks like Kahn would have cast Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer as a somewhat different version of the character. Either she’d be a Criss Angel type of magician or not a magician at all.
Swamp Thing
DC’s muck monster would have returned to the big screen as a CGI character. It’s hard to see here, but Swampy would have fireflies flittering around him at all times.
The Floronic Man
The Floronic Man was once Jason Woodrue, an evil botanist that was an enemy of the Atom. However, his plant powers and a transformation into a walking, talking tree made him a better fit for a Swamp Thing nemesis. He would have been the villain of the film. It would have been his second film appearance. John Glover portrayed Doctor Jason Woodrue in Batman & Robin. I can’t blame you for forgetting that.
