The John Wick franchise has confirmed development of a new animated prequel movie — and it’s a good thing it’s animated, because it wouldn’t have worked in live-action. The 2025 CinemaCon has brought a couple of exciting updates for the world of John Wick. Not only is this animated prequel getting made; after two years of speculation, John Wick: Chapter 5 is officially in the works with Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski both coming back for another action-packed adventure.
But while Chapter 5 has the potential to ruin the beautiful finality of Chapter 4’s ending, John Wick’s animated prequel movie could actually be great. Animated spinoffs aren’t always a good idea — the recent anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim was a box office bomb — but this one is built on a pretty solid foundation. It’s a John Wick story that fans have wanted to see since the first movie, and animation is the only way to tell it.
It’s Too Late To Do John Wick’s Impossible Task Prequel Story In Live-Action
Keanu Reeves Is Too Old To Star In A Live-Action John Wick Prequel
John Wick’s animated prequel will take place before the events of the first film. It’ll depict the notorious “impossible task” that Wick had to complete in order to leave the employment of the High Table, marry his late wife Helen, and retire from his career as an ᴀssᴀssin. This task has often been alluded to, but it’s never been confirmed exactly what Wick had to do to retire — and it’s certainly never been shown on-screen.
The only other option would’ve been to recast the role, but that decision would’ve been ruthlessly criticized.
It’s a good thing this prequel is being done as an animated feature, because it wouldn’t have worked in live-action. Reeves is too old to believably star in a prequel set so long before the first movie, which came out over a decade ago now. The only other option would’ve been to recast the role, but that decision would’ve been ruthlessly criticized, because Reeves is Wick and Wick is Reeves; this is one character that can’t be Alden Ehrenreich’d. With that in mind, animation is definitely the best way to go.
John Wick’s Impossible Task Prequel Being Animated Is More Exciting Than Live-Action
It’s A Whole New Realm To Explore
While it would be exciting to see John Wick’s impossible task depicted in any form, it’s especially tantalizing that it’ll be an animated movie, because it’s a whole new realm to explore. The John Wick universe has been explored in a bunch of different ways in live-action, but this franchise has never dabbled in animation. Aesthetically, the John Wick franchise has always been inspired by anime — especially in Chapter 4’s Japan-set sequence — so it’ll be interesting to see a new movie tackle that influence directly.
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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From the World of John Wick: 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.
