John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally offering its titular character some hope, while seemingly walking back the grim ending the series was building towards. John Wick not only provided Keanu Reeves with a major comeback, but it was also a big influence on many action movies that followed. John Wick's sequels increased the action and body count, but with each chapter, it felt like Wick's chances of survival grew smaller. He was barely alive by the end of John Wick: Chapter 3, having survived grueling shootouts and fights only to be betrayed by former friend Winston (Ian McShane).
If some viewers sensed that John Wick director Chad Stahelski was building towards a bleak end of the character, they'd sensed right. Speaking with Den Of Geek in 2019 around Chapter 3's release, he stated “That was the original intent of number three to kill John Wick. That doesn’t gel with some people.” To the helmer, Wick had essentially damned himself with his actions in Chapter 2, and the only logical outcome was his death. Of course, the studio didn't see it that way, so instead, the third movie ended with a cliffhanger teasing another story, but John Wick: Chapter 4 is giving him a little hope.
John Wick 4 Is Giving The Assassin An Escape Route
If John Wick: Chapter 3 made anything clear, it's that the High Table would never, ever stop coming after Wick. The trailer for Chapter 4 revealed that if he challenges new villain and High Table member The Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) to a duel and wins, he'll finally have a way out. Of course, judging by the preview, he'll still have to fight/stab/punch his way through lots of henchmen to reach his goal. This could also mean that Wick's fate isn't as sealed as Stahelski once claimed.
Given all that Wick has suffered through in the franchise thus far, having it end with him dying doesn't feel like a satisfying conclusion. Chapter 3 was the darkest of the series to date, with a desperate John seemingly willing to sell his soul just to stay alive a little longer. Had John Wick 3 ended with his planned demise, that would have left a bitter taste for followers of the saga. With Chapter 4, it seems that the filmmakers behind the series are gearing toward an epic finale that will at least offer the chance for Wick gets to walk away.
Will John Wick 5 Still Happen?
John Wick: Chapter 4 was once set to film back to back with Chapter 5, though the latter production was delayed due to the pandemic. Since then, progress has moved forwards on Ballerina, a spin-off starring Ana de Armas. The film will take place between the events of John Wick: Chapters 3 and 4, with Reeves, McShane and Lance Reddick all reprising their roles. This has led to some speculation that maybe Ballerina has replaced John Wick: Chapter 5.
Assuming Chapter 4 doesn't pull the rug out from viewers and kill its anti-hero, it's a reasonably safe bet Chapter 5 will still happen. Each entry in the series has been more successful than the last, and if the fourth film follows that trajectory, another sequel is all but certain. While both Ballerina and prequel miniseries The Continental will expand the franchise outside of the main outings, so long as Reeves is willing to return, it feels like John Wick has plenty of life left in him.