Wieh Ana de Armas’ role in Ballerina, the John Wick franchise finally has a female ᴀssᴀssin who can carry the story forward, but this almost happened eight years earlier. Although Keanu Reeves’ тιтular character has always been the heart and soul of the John Wick franchise, there are plenty of great supporting characters, many of whom are women. Since Ares in John Wick: Chapter 2, female characters have been just as ᴅᴇᴀᴅly and fascinating as the men in the franchise. The world of John Wick is teeming with ᴀssᴀssins of all kinds.

The future of the John Wick franchise remains shrouded in mystery, even after Ballerina. Of course, it seems as though Ballerina could get a sequel, depending on its box office performance in the coming weeks. There are also plans for a spinoff about Donnie Yen’s blind ᴀssᴀssin, Caine, as well as John Wick 5 and a few more potential projects. After the shocking ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, the franchise may be looking for new characters to take on more pivotal roles. It almost had the perfect replacement for John in Chapter 2.

John Wick 2 Almost Introduced John Wick’s Daughter

John’s Daughter Could Have Been The Franchise’s Newest Protagonist

The first John Wick movie works well as a standalone action thriller, but this meant that David Leitch and Chad Stahelski had a blank slate when it came to the sequel. The duo batted around plenty of different ideas before settling on the story of John being forced to honor a marker, one of which included John having to rescue his daughter from danger. (via Screen Junkies) This would have been a strange choice, considering the fact that the first movie doesn’t mention John having a daughter at all, although his love for his wife is what drives him.

It’s not clear how John’s daughter would have slotted into the franchise’s world exactly, or how a sequel would have shaped up with this different storyline. Audiences would have demanded a compelling explanation of where John’s daughter had been during the events of the first movie, and why he never alluded to her in any way. It seems out of character that John would put himself in so much danger if he had a daughter to live for, and it also doesn’t make sense that Helen would give him a puppy to soothe his grief if he had a child all along.

John Wick’s Daughter Would’ve Been The Perfect Successor To Keanu Reeves’Character

John’s Daughter Could Have Been An ᴀssᴀssin Too

Although it’s not certain that John’s daughter would have been an ᴀssᴀssin like him, this possibility would’ve set up the future of the franchise, even after John’s death. It would also offer an explanation for why John doesn’t mention his daughter in the first movie, since they might have lost contact as she delved deeper into the criminal underworld. Of course, this would radically change the following movies, but it means that John would have had a ready-made successor to take the reins of the franchise after Chapter 4.

The John Wick Franchise Currently Has 2 Potential Protagonist Replacements

John Wick Has Brought In Some Younger Characters

Even without the idea of John’s daughter, the John Wick franchise has set up a few potential paths for its future. Firstly, Ballerina may get a sequel, which would mean that Ana de Armas’ Eve could step into a bigger role. As John Wick 5 is still being kept under wraps, she might still figure in the franchise’s main continuation. Ballerina does a good job of introducing her character, her backstory and her fighting skills, and the ending suggests that she has a lot more to give, whether she teams up with John again or has a more independent adventure.

The other potential leader of the John Wick franchise is Akira, played by Rina Sawayama in Chapter 4. Koji’s daughter is just as skilled as her father, and her story in Chapter 4 sets up a new story for her. After her father’s death, the post-credits scene shows her ready to seek revenge against Caine, but she could also turn this anger towards the High Table. If John’s war with the High Table rages on after his death, Akira could find herself on the front lines. This could mean that the John Wick franchise would have another chance to replicate the thrilling action at the Osaka Continental.

Source: Screen Junkies