The development and potential story of John Wick 5 has been a big mystery after John Wick: Chapter 4 killed Keanu Reeves’ character, or so I thought before watching Ballerina. Once word got out that Lionsgate wanted to make a fifth installment in the main series and that director/writer Chad Stahelski was working on it, the question of how the movie will handle bringing him back has loomed large. Stahelski has made it known that he and Reeves don’t want to do prequels, nor do they necessarily want to undermine John Wick 4‘s ending by making another movie.

That’s made it tricky to imagine exactly how another movie with the Baba Yaga will happen. As John Wick 5‘s development has continued, the one thing we’ve known is that we haven’t seen the last of Keanu’s ᴀssᴀssin one way or another. John Wick returns in Ballerina, the Ana de Armas-led spinoff movie, thanks to the film being set before his apparent death in Paris after killing the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont. After watching this new installment in the universe, which is mostly a standalone adventure, I think I know what John Wick 5‘s story could be about.

Ballerina Makes John Wick An Enemy Of The Cult

A Mysterious New Group Enters The Universe

John Wick isn’t in Ballerina much, but his role is important nonetheless, especially when it comes to discussing what his franchise future could look like. This is because he’s asked by The Director of the Ruska Roma to go to Hallstatt and stop Eve from getting her revenge on The Chancellor and his tribe of ᴀssᴀssins, only known as The Cult. These ᴀssᴀssins respect Wick’s presence there at first and stay out of his way. That ends once it becomes clear that John is giving Eve until midnight to execute The Chancellor or face John once more.

This decision makes John an enemy of The Chancellor and his cult. He was sent to Hallstatt to prevent a war from breaking out between the Ruska Roma and The Cult. Why the Ruska Roma sent John when he was disavowed by them is not clear. But, allowing Eve to carry out her mission and kill The Chancellor in Ballerina‘s ending should make him a clear enemy to whoever is left to run the organization. He did not fulfill his duty, nor did he follow the rules of his mission.

John knows the connection between “rules and consequences.” It’s a saying he’s used in earlier movies and repeats it again when talking to Eve at the conclusion of their fight. He must know his actions will not be easily forgiven and that he’s making another enemy for himself, and possibly the Ruska Roma, by helping Eve. That has no bearing on John Wick 4, as this story wasn’t even going to be part of Ballerina before that film’s release. Now, it’s the perfect setup for John Wick 5 with The Cult coming after the Baba Yaga.

John Wick 5 Including The Cult Can Explain The High Table’s Absence

Stahelski Previously Teased A Non-High Table Story

While Stahelski has been hesitant to confirm much of anything about John Wick 5, even suggesting that there’s still a chance it doesn’t happen, he has offered up one notable piece of information. He’s confirmed that the sequel will move beyond the High Table story that John Wick has been part of in the previous four movies. The movie will instead focus on a “really different” story that no longer is focused on John’s grief. His full quote is below:

“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, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, ‘Holy ҒUCҜ… I gotta see that.’”

As fun as the theories are about John Wick battling his way through the nine layers of Hell, it does not seem like that’s a direction that John Wick 5 will go. It’s more likely that the franchise is going to evolve his story so that John can still be in the fight, but for a different reason. John’s new conflict with The Cult could be the answer. Even if his death was faked, he will remain free from the High Table after the ritual showdown in John Wick 4. The Cult, though, can be an organization that is still willing to pull John back into this chaos.

Ballerina doesn’t fully explain The Cult or how it truly connects to enтιтies like The Continental or the High Table. All that is known is that there is a truce between them and the Ruska Roma that dates back over a thousand years. It’s also stated that they are not contract killers, but more so people who kill for the sport. They seem willing to break the rules of the High Table and go after their enemies no matter what. If John Wick is still alive, then The Cult coming after him and ruining his potentially peaceful life works as a story for John Wick 5.

The Cult Becoming John Wick 5’s Main Villain Means Eve & Other Ballerina Characters Can Return

It Can Work With Ballerina 2

If I’m right and The Cult will be featured as the villains of John Wick 5 as they hunt down John Wick, Ballerina will become a crucial piece in the franchise’s history. The film could be the place where a new chapter in John’s life really begins. He might be free of the High Table, but The Cult may want another sH๏τ at him and those he aided. This could mean that John Wick 5 will have an easier time bringing Eve and other characters from this spinoff back.

Eve’s story deserves to continue on in a Ballerina sequel, but that can work in harmony with John Wick 5 embracing The Cult. The movie’s final scene shows that a $5 million contract has been placed on Eve. While the person who orders it is not shown, it is certainly whoever is left running The Cult. The organization is making moves to go after its lingering enemies, and John could learn about this, especially if they place a bounty on his head too. That can allow Ana de Armas to be in John Wick 5 and star alongside Keanu Reeves.

Furthermore, this could be a way for John Wick 5 to pull in Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) and The Director (Angelica Huston). This shouldn’t come at the expense of making Ballerina 2, but it is a safe option to fall back on if the first film’s box office doesn’t do as well as expected. John Wick 5 utilizing elements like The Cult and Eve ensures that Ballerina‘s story will continue in some fashion, which will help keep the franchise closely connected.