According to franchise star Keanu Reeves, John Wick 5 isn’t yet a guarantee. After the success of the first John Wick spawned a number of sequels, the shadowy, assassin-filled world of the films has only grown larger. Reeves’ titular hitman has now gunned down enemies across a host of different countries, fighting to protect himself, exact revenge, and take down the organization known as the High Table. Reeves will next appear in John Wick: Chapter 4, which was originally supposed to film back-to-back with a fifth movie. After plans changed due to the desire for a break between productions, it became less clear what the status of the planned fifth film is.
In a recent interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Reeves addresses the possibility of John Wick 5, making clear that it’s not a sure thing just yet. According to the star, a fifth film will be mostly dependent upon how well audiences receive John Wick: Chapter 4, which is due out in March. Reeves’ comments follow those of longtime franchise director Chad Stahelski, who previously expressed last summer that “it is the studio’s [full] intention to continue the franchise” following the upcoming film. Check out Reeves’ full comment below:
“You have to see how the audience responds to what we did. The only reason we’ve had a chance to make these movies is that people have liked what we have done. So I think we have to wait and see how the audience responds to it. Hopefully they’ll like it.”
How John Wick: Chapter 4 Could Set Up A Fifth Film
With the door to a fifth film fairly definitively propped open, it’s fair to assume that John Wick: Chapter 4 won’t end with John’s death. The upcoming fourth installment is expected to follow Reeves’ character as he faces off against a powerful new adversary (and some old friends) upon uncovering a new way to take down the High Table. The John Wick: Chapter 4 trailer has already teased that the upcoming movie will be a globe-trotting affair, with Reeves’ character traveling to Paris, Japan, Germany, and the Middle East. With a fifth movie remaining uncertain, the upcoming fourth movie has the difficult job of giving John a satisfying ending while still keeping the door open to future adventures.
The best way to do this might be to actually have John succeed in his quest to take down the High Table. The organization is massive and very powerful but, John Wick: Chapter 4 could see Reeves’ assassin deliver a killing blow, cutting the head off of the snake, so to speak. In contrast to previous films, which see John thrown back into the fire after succeeding in his missions, John Wick: Chapter 4 could actually just end with a victory. With the High Table crippled, John Wick 5 would have an opportunity to tell a much more personal story, perhaps focusing on John’s dynamic with Winston, who surprisingly betrayed him at the end of the third movie.
Each new movie in the franchise has expanded the universe, featuring more kills and bigger set pieces, but at a certain point, this strategy could result in diminishing returns. By using a fifth movie to hone in on John as a character and tell a more intimate story, it could end up feeling like an interesting bookend to the first John Wick, which was also a little smaller in scope and scale due to budgetary limitations. John Wick 5 may not be a guarantee just yet but, if the response to previous movies in the franchise is any indication, it’s looking like a very likely possibility.
Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)
