Bill Skarsgård Reveals His Dream Role In James Gunn's DCU (And It's Not The Joker)

Published Nov 8, 2026, 8:09 PM EST

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A master of playing complex characters and memorable villains, Bill Skarsgård has long been eyed by DC fans to join the franchise, and now, the It star has revealed his ideal role.

In an appearance on Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz, Skarsgård confirmed his interest in joining James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe. Though Horowitz suggested he could make a good Booster Gold, the Nosferatu star had a different hero in mind.

"I thought that Constantine was cool," said Skarsgård. " I had an idea that, like, me and Andy Muschietti could do a Constantine." Notably, Skarsgård and Muschietti collaborated on the It films, and the latter is attached to the upcoming DCU Batman reboot.

Previously, the character of John Constantine was played by Keanu Reeves on the big screen and Matt Ryan on television. Though Reeves' Constantine was released in 2005, a sequel is still reportedly in development with the Matrix star remaining in the lead. This would be a DC Elseworlds project, leaving room for a separate iteration of Constantine to exist in the DCU proper.

Skarsgård praised Reeves' take on the character, saying "he did a great one." However, he would be interested in creating his own take on the hero, "like blending truly visual horror and [the] superhero" genre.

Recently, it was confirmed that a Constantine-centric movie was in development at DC Studios, separately from the aforementioned Reeves sequel. It is not confirmed if this is also an Elseworlds film or if it is canon to the DCU. Though the film is early in development, Francis Galluppi is attached to write the script. No one has been announced as the lead actor yet, potentially leaving the door open for Skarsgård.

Previously, Skarsgård expressed interest in playing a very different DC character. "I have a really f***ing cool Joker in me probably somewhere," he said. Skarsgård then elaborated that his favorite actor to take on the role was the late Heath Ledger, stating: "He represented everything that I wanted to be, you know, so his passing and that performance really hit me hard at that time."

Interestingly, Skarsgård has been fancast as both the Joker and Bruce Wayne/Batman for the DCU. Additionally, the DCU Batman film is set to be helmed by Muschietti, who Skarsgård wanted to collaborate on a Constantine film with. Given that DC Studios has a preexisting relationship with Muschietti, maybe Skarsgård's hopes to play Constantine could come true, or audiences may see him as their next Joker.