John Wick: Chapter 4 Is The End For Keanu Reeves?
Keanu Reeves is one of the world’s most recognizable action stars, and his leading roles in The Matrix franchise and the John Wick franchise have shown him pulling off some death-defying stunt work. However, it seems age and fatigue may finally be catching up to the action star. According to an article from the Hollywood Reporter, speaking to John Wick film director Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4 might be the last entry in the franchise for Keanu Reeves and him.
Director Chad Stahelski, who has been leading the John Wick franchise since its inception, had this to say about a fifth John Wick film with Keanu Reeves: “In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment. We’re going to give John Wick a rest.”
This may have fans worried that John Wick: Chapter 4 will be the last installment in the franchise, however, Stahelski backtracked a bit from this statement later in his answer, saying that after the Japanese release, he and Keanu will “sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar” and “write some ideas on napkins.” He continued, “If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie.” Stahelski also relented “I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute.”
Stahelski may need to put John Wick: Chapter 4 behind him before thinking about the next film. From Stahelski’s use of the phrase “our minds,” it seems like franchise Keanu Reeves has similar feelings about the next film. Still, with his mentioning of the studio’s plan for the franchise, and the phrasing “take a quiet minute,” it does seem like this is more an admission that there will be a break, but not a permanent one.
Keanu Reeves has been playing the titular character in the John Wick films since 2014, with the most recent being the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4. With a couple of years between each installment, the films have become a mainstay within the action thriller genre, and have helped Reeves cement his status as an action thriller icon.
John Wick isn’t Keanu Reeves’ first foray into the genre. Outside of John Wick, he may best be known for his role as Neo in the sci-fi action thriller The Matrix and subsequent films within the franchise. It was actually on the set of The Matrix where Reeves met John Wick director Chad Stahelski, as the latter served as his stunt double and later on as a stunt coordinator for the franchise.
Although it may be a while before we see a fifth John Wick film, John Wick: Chapter 4 will not be the last in the universe of the franchise. The installment will supposedly set up a spinoff film titled Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, as well as a streaming series based in the John Wick universe called The Continental on Starz. Ballerina is currently in production, with Stahelski set to produce and Keanu Reeves confirmed to make a cameo in some form.
Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 4 has started screening and is garnering some critical praise. At the time of this writing, John Wick: Chapter 4 has garnered a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 9.2 out of 10 from IMDb. The film also features a cast of Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Bill Skarsgård, Asia Kate Dillon, and Ian McShane.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to hit theaters worldwide on Friday, March 24. With the film’s early critical success and with a fifth film already greenlit by Lionsgate studio, Keanu Reeves may find himself suiting up to reprise the role sooner rather than later.
