Norman Reedus’ role in Ana de Armas’ Ballerina could be just as important to the John Wick franchise as another notable star from the original movie. The next upcoming John Wick spinoff movie, Ballerina, remains something of a mystery. While Ballerina‘s cast has been fleshed out with big names like Norman Reedus and Anjelica Huston, not much is known about the characters they’re playing. Everything from Eve’s (Ana de Armas) backstory to how Keanu Reeves’ John Wick fits into the movie is still unknown. It’s also not clear how much inspiration Ballerina will take from the rest of John Wick.

That last question in particular could be a sign that Norman Reedus’ Ballerina character, Daniel Pine, will be a lot more important than he currently seems. As of now, Pine has only had a few brief appearances in Ballerina‘s trailers, and it’s not entirely clear what he’s going to do for (or against) Eve, as he’s both seen talking to her and having a bounty on his head. If Ballerina takes a page from the original John Wick, however, Daniel Pine could be just as important to Eve as Willem Dafoe’s Marcus was to John.

Norman Reedus’ Pine Can Be To Ballerina What Willem Dafoe’s Marcus Was To John Wick

Pine Can Be A Mentor & Ally For Eve In The Same Way Marcus Was For John Wick

Willem Dafoe’s Marcus was one of the best and most important parts of the original John Wick, and he could provide a blueprint for Norman Reedus’ Pine in Ballerina. In John Wick, Marcus was John’s mentor and an old friend, and he helped John by taking the bounty on his head so no one else would and even killing some of his attackers before dying a tragic death. Pine could do the same thing in Ballerina: act as a mentor and ally, add more to Eve’s backstory, and provide some motivation for her to see her fight through to the bitter end.

If Pine does turn out to be like Marcus, he would be much more important to Ballerina than we’d previously thought. Pine could end up being a crucial part of Eve’s origin story, he could help create a new legend surrounding her akin to the Baba Yaga, and he may even be the emotional core of Ballerina as a whole. The trailers for Ballerina have set up Eve’s work for the Ruska Roma, but she still lacks a previous tragedy like the death of John’s wife. Pine may have to pick up the slack and give Eve a reason to join this world of ᴀssᴀssins.

The John Wick Franchise Wouldn’t Be What It Is Today Without Great Supporting Characters

The Actors Who Supported Keanu Reeves Made The John Wick Universe Exciting & Fully Fleshed Out

Keanu Reeves is obviously the main attraction of the John Wick franchise – that’s why there’s so much speculation about whether Reeves will return for John Wick 5 or not – but he didn’t make John Wick what it is today all alone. The real secret ingredient of John Wick is the incredible number of supporting characters and actors it had to flesh out John’s story and the entire franchise’s world. Ian McShane’s Winston Scott, Lance Reddick’s Charon, Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, and a dozen other notable people turned John Wick from an exceptional action movie into a sprawling franchise capable of making spinoffs like Ballerina.

Without those side characters, John Wick would still be great fun, but it would be much less distinguishable from other entertaining revenge actioners like Nobody or Monkey Man. It wouldn’t have been able to introduce the world of ᴀssᴀssins, the High Table, or any of the other flavorful bits of worldbuilding that make John Wick what it is if acclaimed actors weren’t there to make them interesting. Even John himself would have been a pretty bland character if he didn’t have people like Winston or Halle Berry’s Sofia to interact with. Hopefully, Ballerina remembers that lesson and makes Norman Reedus’ Pine as important as he needs to be.