16 Perfect Superhero TV Show Casting Choices That Nailed Their Characters

John Constantine is one of my favourite comic book characters of all time. Not only is he revolutionary in the sense that he was one of the first LGBT* heroes to make it to the forefront of DC's lineup, he's one of if not the most intellectually mature comics properties in the medium. Point being, if you haven't read at least one volume of Hellblazer into your years-long comic book obsession, correct that mistake now.

It was always going to be a tad ambitious for any TV show to try and adapt Hellblazer. Keanu Reeves' acceptable yet wholly disingenuous take on the scouse anti-hero had already established a precarious precedent for any visual representation of the character to follow, but we got something truly surprising in 2014, as NBC adapted Constantine for the small screen.

The show itself started off slow and p*ssed off fans royally when it refused to show John puffing on a cigarette, or even to acknowledge the character's sexuality. Those issues aside, it must be said that Matt Ryan's take on the occult investigator was damn near perfect, taking everything from the character's blond hair to his northern accent to the masses in an uncompromising portrayal that aimed to stay as faithful to the comics as NBC (and David Goyer) would allow. Fans loved it, but sadly the masses didn't, with the show getting cancelled after only managing a meagre 13 episodes. Bummer.

That hasn't stopped Ryan from taking up opportunities to reprise the role however. The character famously made an appearance in Arrow's fourth season, immediately elevating the quality of the series whilst at the same time raising fan hopes for a series revival. We've yet to hear more since, sadly, but I'm certain we've not seen the last of the character's TV days.

Are there any performances that we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments!