John Wick: Chapter 2’s catacombs scene shows just how good Keanu Reeves’ ᴀssᴀssin is at his job. The John Wick movie franchise paints its main character as a borderline supernatural ᴀssᴀssin, who can kill his way out of any seemingly unsurvivable scenario. That said, the series also does a good job of making the character feel vulnerable, with Chapter 3 in particular making it feel like Wick is barely managing to stay alive. One thing audiences rarely get to see is John actually mapping out a hit.
The character is often reactive, either running from squads of killers or turning around to kill them all. An upcoming John Wick anime spinoff will finally detail that “impossible” job Wick was tasked with to get out of his old life, which should answer some lingering franchise mysteries. It will also show Wick in his prime, where he actually has time to work out his jobs. Prior to this, John Wick: Chapter 2 is the only instance where he’s shown working up an ᴀssᴀssination.
John Wick 2’s Catacombs Scene Proved John Was More Than Just A Good Killer
John had backup plans for his backup plan
Chapter 2 saw Wick forced to commit a hit for slimy crime boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), who – of course – betrays John in the aftermath. Wick is tasked with killing D’Antonio’s sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) so he can move up the ladder in the High Table. John heads to Rome to perform the task, but before springing into action, he works out his approach. He studies blueprints to figure out escape routes, plants emergency weapons – after visiting Peter Serafinowitcz’s Weapons Sommelier for a “tasting” – and gets fitted with a bulletproof suit.
There has been no other instance in the John Wick series where viewers got to see the тιтle character prep in such a detailed manner. That’s why Chapter 2’s Catacombs ambush is so memorable, as viewers can see his forward planning paying off in real time. He planned weapons at key chokepoints and all his questions to the Sommelier regarding his weapons choices pay off too. It shows Wick is more than just a sentient trigger-puller and that his smarts are what have really kept him alive.
John Wick Continued To Show How Smart He Was Throughout The Franchise
John is usually a couple of steps ahead
John Wick: Chapter 2 may show off his big brain, but it’s not like John hadn’t demonstrated his smarts before. He’s usually thinking at least a couple of steps ahead and constantly adapts on the fly. If he’s in a gunfight, he will take care of his biggest threat first, and he will always confirm a kill with another headsH๏τ if need be. He’s constantly using the environment to his advantage, from turning a pencil into a lethal tool to whacking the rear of a horse, so the animal will kick an attacker for him.
The next movie in the John Wick franchise is Ballerina, which takes place between the third and fourth movies; Keanu Reeves will make a cameo as Wick too.
The ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 saw Wick locked in a duel with old friend Caine (Donnie Yen), and seemingly doomed. Even in this bleak scenario, he still manages to come out on top, by tricking the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) into delivering the fatal sH๏τ; sadly for the Marquis, John still has his remaining bullet and takes him out instead without breaking the rules. John Wick: Chapter 2 shows what he can do with some planning time, but the series constantly demonstrates his quick thinking.
