John Wick: Chapter 5 is officially on the way, but viewers understandably have several questions about how Keanu Reeves is going to return to this action franchise. After seemingly killing off the protagonist in Chapter 4, the confirmation that another sequel is coming took many by surprise. However, director Chad Stahelski has affirmed that Chapter 5 will be a very different movie from those that preceded it, sparking many interesting theories about the next John Wick movie.

There’s a very specific path that could make John Wick 5 successful, but the project is ultimately going to be under a lot of pressure. Not only is it already being called “unnecessary” because of how blatantly it counteracts the ending of the previous film, but the decision to try something different also means that many important John Wick questions will be left in the past. Chapter 4 set up plenty of interesting plot points and compelling mysteries, but it’s hard to see how Chapter 5 will pay off.

John Wick 4 Created A Lot Of Questions About The High Table’s Elder

The Elders Play A Mysterious Role In The High Table’s Leadership

Throughout the John Wick franchise, the Elders of the High Table have been the overarching villains, controlling everything from the shadows. Each pᴀssing sequel revealed a new detail about how the High Table operates, with Chapter 4 confirming that new Elders are chosen whenever the existing one is killed. Since Reeves’ тιтular protagonist killed the previous Elder at the beginning of Chapter 4, it logically follows that somebody should have taken his place to lead the High Table.

However, nothing has ever been explained about how these Elders are chosen, or really what function they perform within John Wick’s High Table. They’ve always been somewhat of a mystery, and Chapter 4 was the first time that it felt like audiences might finally get an answer. While John is technically free of his debt to the High Table, it seems unlikely that the new Elder would simply forgive his crimes and let him run free in Chapter 5.

John Wick 5 Isn’t About The High Table, So Don’t Expect Any Elder Answers Now

Stahelski Is Expressly Leaving The High Table Behind

However, it’s already been confirmed that John Wick: Chapter 5 won’t include the High Table at all. It will be a completely different story, introducing new villains for Wick to fight against and leaving his history with the Elders in the past. This is great news for those who’ve understandably grown tired of John Wick’s repeтιтive storytelling, but it also means that the mystery of the High Table’s Elders will probably go permanently unsolved.

The decision to make John Wick: Chapter 5 thematically different from the previous movies is excellent, even though it means that audiences won’t get all the answers they want. Given the conclusive ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, it simply wouldn’t make sense to return to the High Table and give audiences more of the same. That was a very definitive ending, and Chapter 5 has to be notably different. Stahelski clearly understands this, as he revealed to EMPIRE:

“The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. It’s not a continuation, with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different.”

Could Other John Wick Movies Explain The High Table’s Elder?

The High Table Could Still Appear In The Spinoffs

Although John Wick: Chapter 5 won’t go into detail about the High Table, there’s still plenty of room to explore this mysterious organization in John Wick’s many spin-off properties. The most likely candidate is the upcoming Caine spin-off, which is currently in development at Lionsgate. Donnie Yen’s character previously had business with the High Table, as explained in John Wick: Chapter 4, so this would be a very logical place to explain the presence of the Elders in more detail. It could also happen in Ballerina, but this feels less likely since Eve’s story is pretty separate from the High Table.

Source: EMPIRE