After the theatrical run of John Wick: Chapter 4, the Keanu Reeves-led franchise officially joined the billion-dollar club and cemented its place in the annals of filmmaking history. When the film debuted, it’s widely believed to be the final installment in the franchise, especially since lead actor Reeves and director Chad Stahelski revealed they wanted to conclude the franchise.
However, buoyed by the resounding success of the fourth film at the box office, Lionsgate decided to embark on a fifth installment, much to the joy of fans worldwide. Unfortunately, the development process hit an unforeseen obstacle with the occurrence of strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), temporarily putting a halt to the eagerly anticipated continuation of the John Wick saga.
With both strikes now firmly in the past, the studio has resumed work on the development of John Wick 5. Lionsgate Chairman Joe Drake shared this information during a recent quarterly earnings call, stating that writing, which had halted during the WGA strike, is back in progress for the film.
Drake also disclosed ongoing work on other John Wick projects, which will be spinoffs akin to the recently released The Continental and the upcoming Ballerina. In his words, “On the Wick side, we got multiple spin-offs and Wick Five. We started to work on (it) right when the writer’s strike started, and we’ve gotten back to work as soon as it ended.”
However, John Wick 5 won’t necessarily feature the titular character. In an interview last month, the stuntsman turned director revealed he has numerous ideas for more John Wick installments that may explore other characters. Despite Stahelski’s words, we find it hard to believe that Reeves’s Wick will sit out any installment in the main series. Lionsgate is already attempting to expand the franchise and have it live on through other characters. So, if they want to tell stories that don’t center around Wick, they have the license to do one of those spinoffs.
It’s for this reason that we believe any film in the main series will feature the titular character in some capacity. But then, there’s the big inconvenience of his death, which supposedly happened at the end of the fourth installment. Unless the world of John Wick includes wand-wielding wizards, how will Stahelski and Lionsgate explain the return of a seemingly dead character?
The answer might be easier than it appears. For one, nobody actually saw John Wick die. John Wick: Chapter 4’s ending only implied that he died, showing fans a grave and a headstone engraved with his name. But given the many enemies he has, it is not incredulous to think his death is a ruse so he can live the rest of his life in peace and quiet.
If there was a window open for John Wick’s return, why did he seemingly die in the first place? Stahelski gave an answer in an interview in March. He revealed that the film’s ending could have been different from what was portrayed.
Apparently, he shot two different endings for the film, with Reeves’s Wick surviving in one of them. However, when he previewed the films to test audiences, they preferred the ending with Wick’s death over the one where he survives, prompting him to use that version for the film’s final cut.
In the meantime, Stahelski will team up with Henry Cavill for a reboot of the 1986 cult classic Highlander. Reeves, on the other hand, will star in Ballerina, albeit in a minor role.
Ballerina, the spinoff starring Ana de Armas in the lead role, will debut in theaters on June 7, 2024.
