Bill Skarsgård teases his mystery role in the upcoming John Wick 4, revealing it will be something different for him. Though it had humble beginnings, the John Wick franchise has flourished into one of the biggest action series in recent years. In addition to moving forward with a fourth chapter, a spin-off television event centered on the in-universe hotel The Continental is currently in development. Where the franchise will go after these projects and the already-announced John Wick 5 remains to be seen, but just like Keanu Reeves' titular assassin, it likely won't quit so soon.
John Wick 4 was supposed to premiere in May of this year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed production considerably. Filming only just kicked off last month, with Reeves and director Chad Stahelski back in action. Few plot details have been revealed about John Wick 4, but it is expected to pick up on the cliffhanger from 2019's Parabellum, which saw Wick wage war on the High Table. Newcomers to the franchise include Donnie Yen, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Skarsgård, who is best known for his role as Pennywise in the It films.
Skarsgård recently spoke to Collider while promoting his new film Nine Days and shared some teases about his yet-to-be-revealed John Wick 4 character. The most concrete thing the actor had to say is that his role doesn't require any fight training. Skarsgård then added that the part is "something different. That's why I wanted to do it." He explained:
"I've had it [in my mind] for a very long time that I want to try to be as versatile as I possibly can, whether it is crossing genres or playing these vastly different characters. I actually just finished a horror film, but I feel like the horror genre is something that I've done a lot of. I'd like to do comedy and I'd like to do action. I'd like to do as much as possible. And I think that's the key to longevity in this business and having a fun career where you can go like, 'I can do a lot of different things,' so you don't end up limited into this box, which happens all the time."
It's true that thanks to his time playing Pennywise, Skarsgård has built up a reputation for playing unsettling creatures. Projects such as Castle Rock and Hemlock Grove have likely only contributed to that, so his desire to do something completely different is admirable. That also can provide some clues about what John Wick 4 has in store for him; fans can count on Skarsgård playing someone very unlike his previous roles. This can give him the chance to really spread his wings as a new kind of character.
Beyond that, little else is known about Skarsgård's John Wick 4 role. It isn't even clear as to how big of a part it will be, but based on previous installments, one can theorize that it won't be incredibly large. These movies put the biggest focus on Wick himself, with various allies and villains cropping up for quick appearances along the way. Exactly what side of that spectrum Skarsgård will fall on remains to be seen, but it would be exciting to see him team up with Reeves for his latest mission. John Wick 4 is still a ways away, but hopefully new details will emerge soon.
Source: Collider
