Jenna Coleman's Johanna Constantine appears to have become a fan-favorite character heading into Netflix's long-awaited adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman.
Netflix's The Sandman recently released its first teaser trailer -- and with it, the first official look at the live-action Johanna Constantine. Since the trailer and subsequent poster featuring Johanna dropped, fans and critics alike have taken to social media, expressing admiration for the occult detective and praising Coleman's casting.
While some "fans" have criticized what they perceive to be a "gender-swapped" version of DC's John Constantine, those familiar with the original comics have been quick to push back against this narrative, pointing out that Johanna Constantine is an established character that has been part of the Sandman mythos for decades.
Created by Gaiman and Michael Zulli, Lady Johanna Constantine first appeared in 1990's Sandman #13. Johanna is an ancestor of occult detective John Constantine, aka the Hellblazer, who himself first appeared in 1985's Swamp Thing #37. She was also the previous owner of Fawny Rig, the manor that eventually came into the possession of one Roderick Burgess. Burgess used the house as the base of operations for the Order of Ancient Mysteries, with the occult group going on to imprison Dream of the Endless, aka Morpheus, for several decades, as chronicled in 1988's Sandman #1.
In May 2021, it was announced that Coleman would play Johanna, a "haunted exorcist and Occult Adventuress for Hire," in Netflix's The Sandman. Coleman will portray two versions of the character -- one from the 18th century and another residing in the present day.
John Constantine made a guest appearance in the original Sandman comic series as part of its first story arc, Preludes & Nocturnes. Johanna Constantine didn't come into the picture until the book's second arc, The Doll's House. However, the Netflix adaptation will seemingly see Johanna take over John's role in the Preludes & Nocturnes story, which would make sense, given the fact that she is much more involved in the overall narrative of The Sandman than John is.
In October 2021, Gaiman himself explained the decision for the show to feature Johanna instead of John. Currently, John Constantine is headed for a live-action reboot on HBO Max, creating a bit of a legal issue. According to Gaiman, however, the plan was always for Coleman to play two versions of Johanna in Netflix's The Sandman. "It seemed tidier," he said. "So it worked out."
See Johanna Constantine in action when The Sandman premieres on Netflix on Friday, Aug. 5.
Source: Twitter
