Keanu Reeves Is Everywhere: From Tony Awards Presenter To A Long-Awaited Constantine Sequel

If you are anything like me, you probably have a soft spot for Keanu Reeves. He is one of those actors who just seems universally liked. Lately, he has been popping up in the news quite a bit, making moves both on stage and teasing us with updates about a movie sequel many of us have been waiting for. It feels like Reeves is in a really interesting place in his career right now, doing all sorts of different projects and earning praise from other big names in Hollywood.

This coming Sunday, June 8, is the 78th annual Tony Awards. It is going to be a big night at Radio City Music Hall, and you can watch it live on Pluto TV before the main event on CBS. Guess who is going to be there as a presenter? None other than Keanu Reeves. And he will not be alone. His old friend from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Alex Winter, is also presenting. This is pretty cool, seeing those two together again on such a big stage.

But that is not the only reason Reeves is a Tony Awards presenter. He is actually going to be on Broadway himself later this year. In September, he will make his Broadway debut in a new version of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. This is a huge step for Reeves, moving from big action films to the live theater world. It sounds like a truly unique experience for him and for anyone who gets to see it. He joins a long list of other presenters, including six-time Emmy winner Jean Smart who is also appearing on Broadway right now. It is great to see such talent gathered for the event.

Tom Cruise Shows His Huge Respect For Keanu Reeves And His Action Film Work

A Fellow Action Star Gives Credit To Reeves For His Iconic Movie Roles

It is always cool when big stars show love for each other, and that is exactly what Tom Cruise did for Keanu Reeves recently. While on the red carpet for the New York premiere of his latest movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Cruise spoke about how much he admires Reeves. He told Extra that he "grew up with Keanu," referring to their shared journey in Hollywood.

Cruise specifically talked about Reeves' work in action Movies. He said, "You see Speed, you see The Matrix, and also what they did with the John Wick franchise." He praised how those movies captured their tone and how Reeves showed such ability and charisma. Cruise said he knows how much effort it takes to do that kind of work. He always calls Reeves to say "Hats off man, hats off." Cruise also made it clear that he really enjoys those movies. This is high praise coming from someone like Tom Cruise, who is known for doing many of his own intense stunts in his own action films.

Cruise has been the star of the Mission: Impossible film series since 1996. The movies have been huge box office successes, starting with the first one bringing in over $457 million. This kickstarted a long series that is still going strong today. So when Cruise talks about the demands of action filmmaking, he knows what he is talking about. His latest movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, also did very well. It made over $200 million on its opening weekend. Cruise took to social media to thank everyone involved, from filmmakers to theater employees and most of all, the audiences. This shows a common ground between these two action heroes: a deep respect for the craft and the fans.

The Long Wait For Constantine 2 Continues With Some Surprising Details

Why The Highly Anticipated Sequel Has Been Taking So Much Time To Get Made

Fans have been waiting for Constantine 2 for a long time. The first film, released in 2005, did not get amazing reviews at first. Many people liked its look and Peter Stormare's role as Satan. But some critics felt it was just another action movie. It also did not make a ton of money at the box office. But over time, the movie found its audience. It became a cult favorite, especially among fans of the "Hellblazer" comics it was based on.

Because of this growing popularity, Warner Bros. announced a sequel back in 2022. But three years later, Constantine 2 is still in pre-production. There are a few reasons for this delay. One reason was the writers' strike which put a stop to many projects. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman had said that he and Reeves had a story idea but had not written a full script yet. The strike likely paused the project for at least a year. There is also the matter of James Gunn's new DC Comics universe. John Constantine is a DC Comics character. So some talks likely needed to happen with Gunn and his team to make sure everything fit.

But a big reason for the delay is that Keanu Reeves himself is not happy with the scripts they have seen so far. He is very committed to playing John Constantine again. Peter Stormare, who played Lucifer in the first movie, recently shared some details. He said that the scripts they have been getting are too focused on action. This is not what Reeves wants for the sequel. Stormare confirmed that he expects to return as Lucifer, which is good news for fans of his performance.

Keanu Reeves Wants Constantine 2 To Be Different From His Other Action Roles

Understanding The Actor's Vision For A More Grounded And Spiritual Follow-Up

Reeves and director Francis Lawrence, who is also coming back, have given a new idea to Warner Bros. This shows the project is still moving forward. Stormare pointed out that big studios often want to "beef up" sequels. They want "cars flying in the air" and "people doing flip-flops and fighting action scenes." But the first Constantine film was not about fistfights. Its themes were more spiritual. John Constantine was a cynical man with cancer who performed strange exorcisms. He was not a typical tough guy.

Keanu Reeves, who is 61 this year, already has big action series like The Matrix and John Wick on his resume. He wants Constantine 2 to be different. Stormare thinks Reeves feels "I've done John Wick. This movie is spiritual. It's about demons and regular people. And I wanted to keep it that way." Stormare also said he wants God to appear in the sequel, looking like Lucifer did in the first movie. It sounds like Reeves wants the sequel to feel very much like the original, staying true to its mood and characters.

Stormare also mentioned that Warner Bros. wanted his Lucifer to look more like a traditional demon with horns and a tail. In the first film, Lucifer looked like a normal person in a suit. His performance made the character demonic, not heavy makeup. Stormare understands that studios might get worried about making a serious drama about a wounded exorcist in his 60s. He knows Reeves wants to dig deeper into John Constantine’s character. He wants to see what happens to a man who thinks he is beyond saving. No one wants this to turn into a super-fast superhero movie. Stormare’s words were clear: "It turns into an action movie, and not like going deeper and deeper into the characters. I think he wants to do his character again, Constantine, as grounded as it was in the first one." He added that the first film took a long time to become a cult favorite, and it worked, and it will work again. He advises them not to add too much action and shootouts saying, "You have other movies. Don't turn it into Big Marvel... Don't bring in the big guns. Let it be."

While this information is secondhand, it gives us a good idea of what is happening. It shows that Reeves is being very careful. He wants to make sure the film turns out how he wants it to. Francis Lawrence is known for ambitious dramas like I Am Legend and some of the Hunger Games movies. He has a new film coming out in 2025 called The Long Walk. There is no doubt that he and Reeves will include some demonic action in their movie. Only time will tell if this movie finally gets made, but it is clear that Reeves is fighting for his artistic vision.