NBC’s Constantine: Bisexuality a No-Go?

Despite the widespread popularity of DC/Vertigo’s paranormal anti-hero John Constantine, the star of his own new tv series, Constantine, the showrunners for the character’s up and coming TV series seem to be skirting the issue of his sexuality.

This past weekend, the Television Critics’ Association had their semi-annual press conference, at which Constantine was a hot topic, including questions about the portrayal of the character’s bisexuality on television. Unfortunately, executive producer Daniel Cerone’s response to these concerns left a lot of fans, queer and ally alike, crestfallen.

Cerone pointed out that through the decades of Hellblazer canon, “there might have been one or two issues where he’s seen getting out of bed with a man. So, 20 years from now? But there are no immediate plans.”

The problem is, we cannot fast-forward to twenty years from now in real life, and we are still struggling today to get fair rights for LGBT people. Historically, in our media-saturated society, a big step in achieving equal rights and status for marginalized groups is giving them fair and realistic representation in said media. Diversity is a positive thing for media – it gives consumers more role models and challenges prejudices.

John certainly isn’t a role model, but that along with his sexuality makes him a compelling character all the same. (From Hellblazer #51)

We already know that the reboot of the Sailor Moon anime, Sailor Moon Crystal, will retain it’s LGBT characters that were originally censored in the North American dub from the 1990’s. Constantine’s sister TV show, NBC’s Hannibal, is also known for addressing homoerotic desire in the male psyche, with writers making a sincere effort to examine and include non-hetero normative desires. And of course there’s Torchwood – the Doctor Who spin-off starring the fan favourite Captain Jack Harkness, an openly pansexual character. Frank Underwood of House of Cards is stated to have had both male and female sexual partners. The increasing representation of LGBT characters with varying personalities and backgrounds is unlikely just a trend; it’s a genuine step forward for having our media better reflect our diverse world.

The New 52 has also been sure to retain John’s bisexuality, showing him in a ritual with off/on girlfriend Zatanna and their evil magic mentor Nick Necro. (From Constantine #12)

The suggestion that the character’s sexual identity is irrelevant because of how infrequently it is touched on is, quite frankly, illogical. It’s not unusual for people who identify as bisexual to have a dominant preference, and John does tend to prefer women given the predominance of his female partners, but having a preference for the opposite sex doesn’t make a person’s identity less valid. Constantine is a highly charismatic man in the comics, and his addictive personality includes abundant sexual activity. He is informed by his sexuality, but he is not made into a stereotype nor is his entire personality a slave to his bisexuality. It is simply another part of whom he is, much like people in real life of virtually any sexual preference. The fact that his bisexual identity exists without a grand ordeal around it in the narrative, does matter. Given the stigma that bisexuals are faced with, particularly the fact that females are objectified and males are dismissed all together, seeing the Constantine series include the true nature of his sexual desires may not be as trivial a detail as the showrunners believe.

John with his friend, enemy and lover Stanley Manor. (From Hellblazer #173)

Based on the statement from Cerone, it is possible that the producers and writers may still include his sexuality later on in the show, based on how the early episodes are received by audiences. His statement does not entirely put representation of bisexuality off the table completely. It reads as a “maybe later” rather than a “no”, though that’s not to say fans aren’t entitled to feel disappointment and frustration at the producers’ reluctance. It’s entirely possible that the writers and producers will do a slower, gradual reveal of certain character details, though hopefully it won’t take literally twenty years.

There have been other changes made to John for television, namely the dubious nature of whether his smoking habit can be depicted. We see him using his lighter in trailers, so this characteristic is at least implied. However, public TV’s broadcasting standards are notorious for allowing ultra-violence like what Hannibal regularly produces, but lighting up is considered more offensive. It also raises the question of whether or not this allows the opportunity to adapt Dangerous Habits for television, one of the most acclaimed story arcs in Hellblazer, in which John battles lung cancer. Although putting aside the ethical double standards of television, the omission of smoking is understandable due to its difficulty to film: the cigarettes burning away creates continuity issues if filming multiple takes of a scene, not to mention the detriment it brings to an actor’s health even if using herbal cigarettes.

As a general rule, assume Batman is behind everything. (From Search For Swamp Thing #1)

Another noticeable creative change in the series is a changeover in female leads – the original character Liv, played by actress Lucy Griffiths. The change will introduce one of John’s girlfriends from early Hellblazer lore, whom will be played by actress Angelica Celaya. The appearance of more people from comics canon makes sense, given the effort that’s been made on other DC-based shows such as Arrow to incorporate characters and events that viewers would be familiar with.

Constantine is set to premiere October 24th, and will air Friday nights at 10 pm on NBC. Hopefully, the creative team will be able to find solid creative ground in good time and keep fans from being disappointed.