The Bowery King is one of the most enigmatic characters in the John Wick franchise, and his backstory is difficult to pin down. Laurence Fishburne’s crime boss character was introduced in John Wick: Chapter 2, where he became one of John’s allies due to their mutual hatred of the High Table. He controls the Soup Kitchen, a group of vagrants and panhandlers in New York City who act as an undetectable and unhackable intelligence network. He can often be seen tending to his pigeons, which he uses to send messages and small items across the city.
As the John Wick franchise has spinoffs and prequels lined up, the Bowery King is one character who has much more to give. Whether he appears in John Wick 5 or not, fans will relish any further details about his mysterious origins that they can find. In some ways, the Bowery King sums up the progression of the John Wick franchise’s worldbuilding, as the gaps in his past give him an almost mythical quality. He might not fit the tone of the original movie, but his eccentric and ominous presence has undoubtedly colored the franchise ever since his introduction.
The Bowery King’s Original John Wick Backstory
The Bowery King States That He Built His Own Empire
When the Bowery King is introduced in John Wick: Chapter 2, he gives some details of his backstory, but he remains one of the mysterious characters in the franchise. Audiences are left to piece together the clues that point toward his origins, but there are still some huge gaps. Firstly, the Bowery King’s real name is never revealed, like some of the High Table officials. This sums up his mysterious past, since he offers no information about his family, his upbringing, or his early life in the criminal underworld of the John Wick franchise.
The Bowery King’s conversation with the Adjudicator is probably the most revealing, since he refers to the hold that he has over the Bowery and the Soup Kitchen. He’s able to defy the High Table’s orders, because his criminal network exists as its own separate enтιтy. Unlike characters like Winston, who were appointed to their positions by the High Table, the Bowery King suggests that he’s a self-made man, and that he was instrumental in building his criminal empire from the ground up. He seems to have the power to make alliances if and when he chooses.
Ultimately, the Bowery King is forced to accept his punishment for helping John, and he pledges fealty to the High Table. This is merely a ruse, and the High Table’s brutal tactics inspire him to seek revenge. Given the fact that the Soup Kitchen is entirely loyal to him, he’s able to operate undetected as he continues to ᴀssist John. It seems as though he created his own information network, and he wields this power judiciously. There’s still a lot that the John Wick movies don’t reveal about who he really is, and how he got to be the leader of the Soup Kitchen.
The Continental Changed The Bowery King’s Origins
The Spinoff Makes The Bowery King’s Backstory Even More Confusing
The spinoff series The Continental reveals more about John Wick‘s world, although it mainly focuses on a younger version of Winston. It provides some more details on the backstory of the Continental H๏τel, Winston, and the wider world of the John Wick franchise. Although the Bowery King doesn’t make an appearance, it’s still possible to piece together some clues about his origin story based on some other details. The fact that he isn’t there, and that someone else is leading the Soup Kitchen, seems to contradict the story he establishes in John Wick: Chapter 2. It’s a strange knot in the timeline of the John Wick franchise.
In The Continental, a character called Mazie runs the Bowery. This seems to retcon the Bowery King’s backstory as it’s presented in John Wick: Chapter 2. It also contradicts what he says about the Soup Kitchen, since The Continental shows that it’s under the rule of the High Table, who have the power to appoint leaders. In this new continuity, it would seem as though the Bowery King started off as a member of the Bowery under Mazie’s regime, and that he somehow worked his way up the ladder.
The Bowery King could be lying about his origins to feed into his mythological veneer.
There’s a chance that this isn’t a retcon at all. It’s worth remembering that the only information about the Bowery King’s origins that audiences get from John Wick: Chapter 2 comes from the man himself. Therefore, he could be lying about his origins to feed into his mythological veneer. It’s more impressive to paint himself as the creator of the Soup Kitchen than a temporary figurehead. He could have had the power and the foresight to write his own history as soon as he ascended to the throne, cementing his status as the undisputed leader of the Bowery.
The Bowery King’s History With John Wick
John And The Bowery King Met Each Other While John Was Still Working
John Wick and the Bowery King seem to have a tense dynamic when they initially come face-to-face in John Wick: Chapter 2. The Bowery King soon explains the reasons why. His meeting with John on the rooftop is the first time that he’s seen the ᴀssᴀssin since they met while John was still working. One of John’s contracts put him in conflict with the Bowery King, but he decided to spare his life. Presumably, the Bowery King was just one man standing between John and his target. After cutting the Bowery King, John told him that he could reach for his gun and fight back, or he could use his hands to stem the bleeding and survive.
The Bowery King thanks John for his mercy on that day, and he says that this near-death experience soon inspired him to rise to the top of the criminal underworld. He might say that he’s referring to the way he established the Soup Kitchen, but evidence from The Continental tells a darker story. The Bowery King’s drive to reach the top might mean that he betrayed Mazie in some way, either by killing her or otherwise stealing her throne. Either way, the Bowery King traces his success back to his fateful meeting with John many years earlier.
Although the Bowery King and John start their relationship as allies with a mutual interest in toppling the High Table, they develop a more personal bond. The fact that the Bowery King stands beside Winston to pay his respects at John’s grave in Chapter 4 suggests that he grew to admire his new friend. It’s possible that any future John Wick projects could shed some more light on the Bowery King’s backstory, but the mystery is part of what makes him such a compelling character. Perhaps it’s best to leave some questions unanswered.
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.
