Keanu Reeves is best known for his roles in The Matrix and John Wick franchises, and some fan theories suggest they could be connected. Even though the final installment of the Matrix trilogy arrived a decade before the first John Wick and they've never been linked together, that hasn't stopped speculation from suggesting it is possible.
Before getting into specifics of how The Matrix and John Wick franchises could be connected, the idea of them being tied together comes from their similarities. Obviously, Reeves is at the center of them both and plays similar characters (ones who are proficient in action but mostly talk and act like Reeves' natural persona). But, there are more connections between them; namely that John Wick directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch were part of the stunt team for the Matrix franchise. As a result, the latest Screen Rant video discusses the theories that these two Keanu Reeves franchises are actually one in the same.
The first theory is that the John Wick series is a prequel to Matrix, where John Wick is an earlier simulation for Thomas Anderson aka Neo. The Matrix franchise established that there were other simulations prior to the one featured in the films, and some fans believe John Wick is one of them. In this scenario, the robots created a world where John/Neo had a different purpose, but it would still lead to him eventually figuring out this life was a lie.
On the other hand, some fans believe that John Wick is actually a sequel to the first Matrix trilogy. Even though Neo appeared to die at the end of Matrix Revolutions, this theory suggests that he survived and was plugged back into a machine. But, seeing what happened with their last simulation, changes are made to his backstory. After watching Trinity die, the robots give Neo/John a backstory where he lost his wife and is set up to go on his revenge rampage.
In either case, these theories do further explain some minor complaints that some have raised with the John Wick franchise. For starters, John Wick's life being part of a simulation to keep him busy would explain why he is constantly under fire. This way his mind is focused on staying alive and not trying to "get out" of the current simulation. Additionally, it explains why the "regular people" in the John Wick series usually don't react to the violence happening around them, as they are computer programs meant to blend in and keep the facade alive. It may even explain the ending of John Wick: Chapter 2 where Winston is able to stop everyone in the public park if he were to be revealed as this simulation's version of the Architect.
While there is some merit to both of these ideas, they could be disproven or become more complicated to hold together in the near future. Both The Matrix and John Wick have fourth installments of their respective franchises in development. Details on both of their stories are slim, but it would still come as a surprise for either of them to confirm a connection between the franchises exists. Then again, with the age of cinematic universes that Hollywood is currently in, maybe a The Matrix and John Wick crossover is exactly what will happen.
