Despite Keanu Reeves maintaining his stance on the fate of John Wick and his role in the franchise, Lionsgate executive Jenefer Brown affirms John Wick 5 is still in development. The franchise centers on the exploits of a legendary, formerly retired ᴀssᴀssin played by Reeves, who finds himself dragged back into the life he tried to leave behind out of great reluctance. The franchise’s last installment was the release of John Wick: Chapter 4 in 2023, which saw the ᴀssᴀssin fight powerful foes in France in his final battle.
As reported by ComicBook.com, Brown, who serves as Head of Global Products and Affairs at Lionsgate, addressed the future of the John Wick franchise when speaking to the website. Alongside Ballerina and a selection of other productions across various mediums, Brown confirmed a fifth John Wick movie is in the works without addressing repeated comments by Reeves that he had no interest in reprising the role. Check out Brown’s response below:
This world continues to grow and expand in incredible ways. Up next, of course, we have Ballerina, which is our first spin-off movie and [we] can’t wait for that to release to the world. Of course, we’ve announced we’re working on a fifth John Wick film. I think there are more spinoffs to come, a TV series, video game.
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With Reeves standing firm in not wanting to reprise his role after John Wick: Chapter 4′s ending gave the character a definitive conclusion, there are few directions in which the character can be taken. Even if recasting was an option for the studio, the character was given a fitting end and laid to rest, ending the cycle he had found himself in. While one solution could be recasting with a younger actor to develop a prequel, it is inevitable that any continuation without Reeves would be met with skepticism from audiences.
Reeves’ personal interest in the first movie and his connections to Chad Stahelski and David Leitch helped the production take major strides in its journey to the big screen. As such, Reeves played a major part in the franchise as not just a star, but a key voice in shaping the character into who he is, far beyond what many other actors have had the opportunity to do. As such, should Lionsgate not tread carefully in handling the character beyond Reeves’s involvement, many potential returning fans may feel put off.
Our Take On John Wick’s Future
Careful Planning Could Ensure The Franchise’s Continued Success
The world of John Wick has already offered plenty of potential to be expanded upon without the involvement of Reeves or the appearance of John Wick himself. While Reeves will appear as John Wick in Ballerina, it is new and supporting characters who will lead the story, while The Continental proved that a prequel could be made without overstepping Reeves’s perspective that Wick’s past should never be shown.
As such, many are conflicted over Lionsgate’s desire to bring the character to screen once more, seeing it as nothing more than a quick attempt at a cash grab. With Brown’s response indicating Lionsgate is eager to capitalize on the property into new mediums through a quanтιтy-over-quality approach, it is uncertain how successful John Wick 5 could be. However, should Ballerina and the Donnie Yen-led Caine spinoff prove successful, Lionsgate may rework their plans after having seen that other characters in the universe can draw an audience.
Source: ComicBook.com
John Wick
- Created by
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Derek Kolstad
- First Film
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John Wick
- Latest Film
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John Wick: Chapter 4
- Upcoming Films
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Ballerina
- First TV Show
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The Continental
Summary
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of ᴀssᴀssins.
