The director behind John Wick explains what goes into deciding when a stuntman steps in for Keanu Reeves. Since 2014, Reeves has starred in three John Wick films with a fourth releasing later this month, all helmed by the stuntman turned-director Chad Stahleksi. Over the years, the John Wick film series has featured many exciting action sequences involving its eponymous assassin, with Reeves famously performing the majority of his own stunts.
During a recent interview with Jake's Takes ahead of John Wick: Chapter 4's release date, Stahleksi explained what goes into deciding when a stuntman steps in for Reeves.
The John Wick director praised Reeves' proficiency at performing stunts, including martial arts choreography and driving, though there are some specific instances where he draws the line and won't put his lead star in danger, and Reeves always agrees. Read Stahleksi's full explanation below:
We try not to light cast on fire, but if you were comfortable and we rehearsed it, I would put a small burn on your leg and we'd go over. It depends on my gauging of you, if I think you're a capable human and you're comfortable with it, that no longer becomes a stunt, it's a special ability. It's when you go outside of what I think your limitations or capabilities are. Some people's capabilities exceed their limitations. Like Keanu, as far as martial arts choreography and driving goes, he is better in a car than I ever was as a stunt double. He does more choreography and executes the memorization of the moves, safety with the gun thing, better than I would say 95 to 98 percent of any stunt person I've ever seen. So when he fights is that a stunt? It has a stunt element to it, it is action-based, but do I think his capabilities exceed what we would think the limitations? Yes, he's absolutely qualified. Now if I were going to have Keanu get hit by a car, that's where we draw the line. Even a talented stunt double getting hit by a car, there is a chance something goes wrong, there's a chance you get nicked or the angle is wrong and you land on your head and then that's a bad thing or you sprain an ankle on the down or something like that's a no-go.
Why Keanu Reeves Does His Own Stunts in John Wick
Like his fellow action star Tom Cruise, Reeves has maintained a reputation for doing his own stunts even as he nears 60 years of age and has admitted to enjoying the adrenaline rush that comes with it. According to Reeves himself, he performed about 90 percent of his own stunts in the first John Wick movie and even more, about 95 percent, in John Wick: Chapter 2. Having a star that does his own stunts gives Stahleksi a lot more creative freedom when crafting shots and long takes especially as, most of the time, he isn't required to hide a stunt double's face during a scene, which makes the action experience much more immersive and convincing for the audience.
Previously his stunt double in The Matrix trilogy, Stahleksi and Reeves already had a strong rapport going into John Wick regarding stunts. Just like each installment in the action series, John Wick: Chapter 4 is upping the ante in terms of its stunts and fight choreography. Reeves spent nearly three months training for John Wick: Chapter 4, including using nunchucks and even more stunt car training, as revealed by a behind-the-scenes video. The result should be another insanely action-packed sequel when John Wick: Chapter 4 releases in theaters on March 24.
Source: Jake's Takes
