The Best John Wick Character Is Getting His Own Spinoff And We Can’t Wait
While audiences wait for the lengthened arrival of John Wick Presents: Ballerina, the studio behind the fan-favorite franchise has announced that a fresh off-shoot is on the way, this time starring Donnie Yen’s Caine. First introduced in last year’s John Wick: Chapter 4, audiences met the blind assassin as one of the killers tasked with bringing down Keanu Reeves’ titular gunslinger.
At this time, Lionsgate hasn’t revealed a plot or release date, but they have teased that we can expect the story to pick up following the events of John Wick: Chapter 4, with Caine now being “freed from his obligations to the High Table” and going off to forge his own path forward.
The Return Of Caine
However, the John Wick: Chapter 4 post-credit scene gives us a better idea of what’s to come for Donnie Yen’s character as it seemingly sets up the Caine spin-off. Fans will remember that Caine took on the assignment to kill the Baba Yaga to keep his daughter safe, and, during those final moments before the screen cuts to black, we saw Caine make his way back to Paris to reunite with his daughter.
Unfortunately, he hits a rather large speed bump after he runs into Akira (Rina Sawayama) after killing her father, Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada), teasing that the Caine movie will explore the beef between its leading character and Akira.
Donnie Yen Deserves To Be A Leading Man
As of right now, the only cast member announced for the John Wick spin-off is Donnie Yen, but there’s plenty of potential for some familiar faces to be mixed in with what will hopefully be a dynamic new set of personalities.
There’s also no word surrounding the project’s director, but we can trust that the story is in good hands as it will be under the watchful eye of the original film’s helmer, Chad Stahelski. The stunt-man-turned-filmmaker will also join as a producer under his 87Eleven Entertainment banner along with Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, who have been attached to the Wick films of the past.
The Other John Wick Spin-Off
Chad Stahelski’s involvement should come as a deep sigh of relief for John Wick fans, as we know the director will do anything and everything in his power to make the Donnie Yen-led production the best it can be. The filmmaker has directed every installment in the standalone franchise and stepped in to intervene with the upcoming Ana de Armas-led Ballerina when things seemed to be going down the tubes.
Along with overseeing all titles to come out under the John Wick banner, Stahelski will also be the go-to man for Lionsgate’s upcoming Highlander film series, serving as the director of the reboot.
The Continental
When it comes to the John Wick/Caine spin-off, hopefully, it’s a third time’s the charm scenario for Donnie Yen and the creative team, as the franchise has run into trouble with stories that have veered away from those led by Keanu Reeves. Even before Ballerina danced itself into trouble and pushed its release date back by a full year, the Peacock series, The Continental: From the World of John Wick, struck a chord with fans in all the wrong ways.
Can Donnie Yen Break The Trend?
Promising as it was, the prequel story behind how Winston Scott (the character made famous by Ian McShane in the films) became the operator of the assassin’s hotel was a huge miss for everyone involved, with both audiences and critics less-than-pleased with the outcome.
But, for now, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the newly announced John Wick spin-off film will be a winner and that Donnie Yen’s character will get the extra story that he deserves.
