CONSTANTINE Says Goodbye To Liv, Hello To Established DC Character

Constantine‘s pilot episode may have impressed NBC executives enough to earn a 13-episode order, but the show is already making big changes into only its second episode. Despite being advertised as playing arguably the second-most important character in the series (behind our trench coat-wearing conman), actress Lucy Griffiths will not be reprising her role past the pilot. Griffiths was let go after “the show’s creators opted to move in a different direction.” Griffiths played Liv, a young woman who gains the ability to “see the supernatural world among us” who joins forces with John Constantine so they can fight the forces of darkness.

Rather than recast the role, the producers have decided to replace Liv with an established character from the DC universe. Joining the main cast is Zed, who Hellblazer fans will recognize as a former lover of Constantine’s. Zed will be his right-hand woman in the series, although the role has yet to be cast. But wait, there’s more. The series will not only introduce more Hellblazer characters throughout the season, but other occult DC characters. Considering the Doctor Fate tease we got in the trailer, as well as the Justice League Dark movie in development hell, this series will be our best chance at seeing the mystical side of the DC Universe. Swamp Thing and Deadman, I’m crossing my fingers for you.

The creative process of planning a show can be tricky, especially with the pilot episode. If the show is lucky enough to get picked up (which very few are), there’s a several month wait between finishing filming that first episode and restarting production on the rest of the season. A lot can change during that time, whether it’s using different sets, adjusting the narrative/focus, or, as it is in this case, replacing one cast member with another. You can’t get everything perfect the first time around, so changes are bound to occur.

That being said, it is one hell of a change to drop the character who was being advertised as extremely important to the show. Liv was the woman who was the key to stopping these demonic forces. How do you toss someone like that away so easily? This isn’t like getting rid of one of the roommates in a comedy or replacing the police captain in a procedural. We’re depending on this woman for the Earth’s survival! What, will Liv’s “second sight” or whatever it’s called be passed on to Constantine or Zed somehow? As a comic book fan, I appreciate when movies or shows adhere as closely to the source material, but this is a dramatic shift.

What’s next, is Constantine not going to be able to smoke his trademark cigarettes? What, that already happened? What is going on with this show?!?!

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter