Caution: This article reveals significant plot points from John Wick: Chapter 4.
While promoting the third installment of the action series, John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum, Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski started contemplating the possibility of a fourth movie in the John Wick saga.
Reeves recalls, “As we were doing the press tour for Chapter 3, we began to consider, if the audience enjoys it and we have the opportunity, what would that movie look like? What story would it tell?”
Now that John Wick: Chapter 4 has been released, the audience can finally discover the answer to that question. One major aspect of the storyline involves the demise of John Wick himself, who ultimately sacrifices his life during a dramatic gunfight in Paris with his old comrade Caine, portrayed by Donnie Yen. Rather than using his final bullet to eliminate his friend, an injured Wick chooses to take down the villainous Marquis Vincent de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgård. Fatally wounded, Wick experiences a vision of his deceased wife, Helen (Bridget Moynihan), and passes away on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur. Later, we see Ian McShane’s Winston and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King paying their respects at Wick’s grave, seemingly solidifying the assassin’s fate.
What led Reeves and Stahelski to conclude that it was time to put an end to the character in such a definitive manner?
Reeves explains, “Our initial conversation was, ‘Why? Why make it?’ And the underlying question is, what’s the story? Chad and I felt that the most authentic and genuine path for John Wick was his journey to death. That was our primary motivation for making the movie. It was the natural, genuine narrative for John Wick and the universe he inhabits. So, that was our starting point, and then we built the story around it.”
Reeves found the experience of filming Wick’s death scene “incredible. I loved it. The character’s heart is filled with so much love, and at the same time, capturing the final moments of a character carried a certain weight.”
However, is Wick truly gone? Could Reeves envision reprising the role in a potential fifth John Wick film?
He cautiously responds, “I suppose I’d have to adopt a ‘never say never’ attitude. But I wouldn’t make a John Wick film without Chad Stahelski. We’d need to see what that would entail. For me, it feels right that John Wick finds peace.”
Fans of John Wick will have the chance to see Reeves in the role once more. He reprises the character in the upcoming spin-off film Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas and directed by Underworld’s Len Wiseman.
Reeves shares, “I had the opportunity to work with Ana de Armas and Len Wiseman on a fantastic script, with John Wick playing a minor role. Wiseman asked, ‘Where in the timeline do you want this story to take place?’ So, it’s set between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of the John Wick saga. It was enjoyable to put the suit back on.”
Helmed by Chad Stahelski and featuring Keanu Reeves reprising his role as the legendary hitman, the action-packed film raked in an impressive $73.8 million domestically, backed by glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore from viewers. The international reception was equally remarkable, with the movie premiering to a whopping $67.6 million across 71 markets, totaling a global debut of $141.4 million – setting new records for the franchise in all aspects.
“We’re all going to take a tiny rest here and then scratch at ideas about whether there’s a credible way to get into five. But there’s no guarantee,” says Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Joe Drake. “Keanu and Chad, rightly so, are very protective about never screwing with the audience. So we certainly have our work cut out for us… Keanu is so beloved and that character is so beloved; that’s not lost on him.” “He is in Ballerina, interestingly, in a very strategic ways. And we’re talking about a couple of others that he could certainly participate in,” said Drake. “I know that Chad has a bunch of really cool ideas.”
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now playing in theaters.
