Arrow: What Will Constantine’s Appearance Bring?

Wednesday, November 4, 2015 will be what Constantine fans have been waiting for: the arrival of the Hellblazer — John Constantine himself — into the world of Oliver Queen on The CW’s Arrow.  With Matt Ryan’s reprisal of the conman mage, fans will no doubt have various questions related to his appearance.  Here are my top hopes and speculations for our favorite trench coat-wearing Englishman.

Will His Cronies Be with Him?

We all know about Team Arrow.  What about Team Constantine?  Well, knowing John’s personality, even if he did admit to having a team, I doubt he’d call it that.  He’d probably just beat around the bush and call them his “mates” or his “people.”  So should we hope for the appearance of Chas Chandler and Zed Martin, or at least a mention of them?

I’m sure fans really want to know what happened to Chas.  He was introduced to us in Constantine in a slightly different incarnation than his comic book counterpart — let’s just say that we witnessed some special gifts in the pilot.  It was soon revealed that his new abilities were only temporary and were the result of John messing around with an incantation.  We were also given an interesting backstory of Chas’s family life.  It’s safe to say that he’s a fan-favorite and people really want to see him return.

And who can forget about Zed Martin — a woman who stood up to John and had her own mystical psychic abilities.  Like Chas, her backstory was slowly revealed throughout the show’s short season.  We’d love to hear about what’s become of her and where she’s headed.

However (and this is a big “however”), all of this is contingent on a very important factor …

What’s the Time Frame?

Does Arrow‘s “Haunted” occur before the events of Constantine or after?  If it does occur before those events, then it would have to predate the exorcism of Astra.  It was Astra’s failed exorcism that resulted in John not only having his soul damned, but also having him be sent to Ravenscar — the famed mental institution — where we saw him in the pilot episode (“Non Est Asylum“).  Having “Haunted” set before the start of Constantine would easily explain Zed’s absence because John hasn’t met her yet.  But they’ll still need to explain Chas’s absence.

If “Haunted” occurs after Constantine‘s series finale, then even more will need to be explained.  What happened to the Rising Darkness?  Will Manny the angel (or evil angel) appear to John?  If Chas and Zed aren’t with him, does that mean the team parted ways?

As you can see, this isn’t a simple enter-and-exit appearance.  The writers and creatives are making a conscious effort to connect the universes.

How Did He Meet Oliver?

We all know about Oliver’s five-year stint before uttering the words “you have failed this city.”  He’s been all over the world.  Did Ollie meet John in England?  In what capacity did they meet?  Obviously Ollie knows John well enough to call him on the phone.  And here’s another big question: If Ollie is well-aware of John’s mystical and supernatural abilities, why did Ollie appear surprised by the more stranger events occurring in Starling City?

Could This Be On-Going?

This is the hope of all Constantine fans: Could Arrow‘s “Haunted” be a backdoor revival of Constantine on The CW?  Before people get too excited, both Stephen Amell and Matt Ryan have stated that this is a one-time thing.  However, I really doubt that executives wouldn’t be thinking long and hard on how to include Constantine in the world of Arrow if “Haunted” does its magic in the ratings arena.  So let’s hope this episode knocks it out of the park.

Make sure to come back to Bam Smack Pow after “Haunted” airs so we can give you our insights and comments.

Arrow‘s “Haunted” episode will air on The CW on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 8:00PM EST.