While very few details about John Wick: Chapter 5 have been revealed to the public, there are quite a few things that can be inferred from what has been said about the film. Keanu Reeves is definitely returning as John Wick, and that means that a very unfortunate truth has already been confirmed about the character.
When John Wick was first released, it became an instant sensation, not just for the incredible action scenes, but because of the excellent, subtle character work that was being done from the first moments of the film. While the action is what has gotten John Wick this far, the character writing has arguably been just as important.
The filmmakers behind John Wick 5 already know this, and are certainly crafting a fresh arc for the character in this new era of the John Wick franchise. However, simply by the nature of its very existence, this new sequel already confirms one of the most tragic aspects of Reeves’ legendary ᴀssᴀssin.
John Wick 5’s Existence Proves That John Will Never Find Peace
The specific story details of John Wick 5 are unknown at this time, but it is safe to ᴀssume that some new threat will arise that John has to take down for one reason or another. Whatever the character has been doing in the years since John Wick 4‘s ending will be interrupted, and he will be pulled back to the life of an ᴀssᴀssin.
John Wick 5 was officially confirmed earlier this year at CinemaCon, with Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski also confirmed to be returning.
John’s central motivation, since the first movie, has been to find some semblance of peace with himself and his life. He had a taste of it with his wife, and after her death, over the course of the four movies, he continued to strive for that peace, eventually seemingly finding it with his apparent death in John Wick 4.
However, unless some truly wild John Wick 5 theories about the afterlife are proven true, then John is still alive, living in relative peace, and is going to be pulled back once again into his old life, presumably against his will.
John worked extremely hard for his peace, and seeing him find it at the end of the last movie was one of the most touching moments in the whole franchise. Knowing that it will end up being undone in the sequel makes the character’s story even more tragic, as he seems destined to repeat the same cycles over and over again.
This is a devastating circumstance for the character, but it would also lead to some very rich storytelling for the series. Being given a glimpse into John’s mind, as he was so close to finally having peace again, only for it to be ripped away, would make John Wick: Chapter 5 all the better.
