Keanu Reeves will return for John Wick 5, which could serve as the final chapter of this franchise, and the star has already revealed the best way to end John's story. The first John Wick movie launched in 2014, but the franchise that the low-budget action film spawned was somewhat unexpected. Despite performing moderately at the box office, John Wick found a growing cult following due to word of mouth.
Lionsgate backed John Wick: Chapter 2 and the film performed even better than the first, and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum capitalized on the growing popularity. The film made $325 million worldwide on a $40M budget, which brought the studio to announce John Wick 4 not too long after a franchise-record opening weekend. Chad Stahelski is returning to direct the fourth installment, which was set up at the end of John Wick 3 when John survived a brutal fall and aligned himself with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) to go to war with the High Table.
Even before John Wick 4 could begin filming, though, Lionsgate has confirmed that John Wick 5 is on the way too. The fourth and fifth entries in the franchise will shoot back-to-back, just like Marvel did with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame or what Tom Cruise has planned for Mission: Impossible 7 & 8. Although the announcement didn't confirm that John Wick 5 is the end of the series, the rush to shoot the two sequels back-to-back could be a sign that John Wick 5 will be Reeves' last ride as Baba Yaga. If that is the case, John Wick 5 will need to bring John's story to a satisfying conclusion, and Reeves has already revealed the best possible ending for the assassin and his franchise.
Keanu Reeves' Idea For Ending The John Wick Franchise
The John Wick franchise has so far used the final moments of the movies to set up what will come next, especially in the more recent films. John Wick 2 ended with Winston (Ian McShane) telling John he was excommunicado and sent him on the run, which is where John Wick 3 began. The third film concluded with his reunion with a cut-up Bowery King and a sign of the two broken men coming together to bring down the secret assassin underworld. But, John Wick 5 shouldn't tease the continuation of the franchise, and can instead use Reeves' perfect idea.
The star revealed in a 2019 interview with Screen Rant how he envisioned the story coming to an end. Reeves doesn't want John to "die" and then be revealed to have survived somehow, as his idea instead gives John a happy ending. He wants to see him get a peaceful ending where he walks into the sunset, leaving behind his time as an assassin and beginning a new stage of his life where he can remember the love he had with his wife, Helen. Ultimately, Reeves believes that the biggest battle John has to win is the one for his life.
Why John Wick Should Have A Happy, Quiet Ending
The idea that the John Wick franchise should end with John's peaceful retirement is an ideal fit for the character, his arc, and the franchise. There will be a temptation for John's last ride to include him fighting to the death once again, but this shouldn't come at the cost of his life. John's death would be an unsatisfying conclusion to his arc, no matter what else he took down in the process of a possible blaze of glory. All the revenge that John still needs to get can and should be done without him having to lose his life.
The entire John Wick franchise has dealt with what John has lost, so the notion that his story could end without losing his life is perfect. He's already lost his wife, the dog she left for him, their house, friends, and his ring finger, and all of this played a part in John losing the normal life he built for himself after exiting the assassin underworld. Now that he is part of that world again, the only options that await him in the future are becoming more entrenched in that lifestyle again or leaving it behind for a second time. It simply wouldn't line up with John's arc to have him become the new Bowery King or take a seat on the High Table, so the best option is to have him regain the life he lost. His arc will then come full circle, but John Wick 5 can also ensure that the series of bad events won't happen again.
How John Wick 5 Can Give The Franchise A Great Ending
With the confirmation that John Wick 5 is in the works, it would be in the best interest of the franchise to have the movie serve as the final chapter. The expansive mythology and assassin underworld suits itself well for spinoffs — like the Continental TV show or Ballerina movie — but John's reckless and violent story is unsustainable. The franchise has so far managed to avoid "jumping the shark," and the continued grounded approach can only last for so long. And unless John Wick elevates itself to near-superhero movie status or something closer to what Fast & Furious has become, John Wick 5 can end the series before going to such extremes.
What the story of John Wick 5 needs to be to give John the peaceful ending Reeves wants isn't too hard to manufacture either. John Wick 4 could be more focused on John and the Bowery King taking on New York and Winston, but John Wick 5 should put John face-to-face with the High Table. He's already crossed paths with the Adjudicator and is well-aware of the High Table's role in the assassin community. It would be a fitting conclusion to John's arc to have him set his sights on the establishment that turned him into the killing machine he became, which also brought about some of his most painful experiences.
Going to war with the High Table could allow John to cut off the head of the assassin underworld, ensuring that he could leave once again. But, with the High Table out of the picture, there might not be anyone to put a hit on John. Meanwhile, his actions would become another legendary showcase of his skills, which could lead to an agreement from the rest of the assassin community to leave him alone. Even if John Wick 5 isn't the last film starring Reeves in this franchise, hopefully his happy ending for John will come to fruition at some point.
