John Wick and Winston appear to be friends in John Wick: Chapter 4, pointing to a major change from where their relationship ended in the last movie. The first John Wick 4 trailer revealed plenty of exciting details about what audiences will see when Keanu Reeves returns to the John Wick franchise in 2023. One of the most intriguing aspects of the footage is how he interacts with Ian McShane's Winston. Audiences are sure to remember that John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum's ending saw Winston shoot John, resulting in him falling off the top of the Continental and miraculously surviving.

John Wick 3's ending positioned Winston as a villain and target of John Wick's wrath in the sequel, but John Wick 4's trailer shows that this is no longer the case. Winston and John Wick are shown together repeatedly in the footage and are seemingly back on good terms. The trailer includes Winston telling John Wick how he could finally put his hitman lifestyle behind him by fighting the High Table's Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). Winston even joins John when it comes time to meet the valuable High Table member in Paris. If there was any other doubt about Winston and John's renewed friendship, the Continental manager tells John to "Just have fun out there."

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Why Winston & John Team Up In John Wick 4

John Wick sitting at a table while Winston stands behind him.

The switch to have Winston and John team up in John Wick 4 is a surprise but likely an indication of the larger threat they are both facing. The introduction of Marquis appears to change both of their lives. The Marquis mentions that "A new day is dawning" that will include "New ideas, new rules, new management." It appears that the character is talking to Winston in this scene, indicating that his rule of the Continental might once again be challenged. This would allow Winston, John, and Bowery King to unite against a common enemy, who is otherwise entering the picture to clean up the messes John made before.

There might also be another reason for Winston and John being friends again, as John Wick 4 could see Keanu Reeves' hitman come to understand that Winston was in an impossible situation before. The only way Winston could continue to help John moving forward was to "betray" him and re-align himself with the High Table. He certainly did not appreciate getting shot or falling off the top of a building, but it did give John another opportunity to regroup and fight the High Table. Should John come to this realization, John Wick 4 can follow him and Winston attempting to finally break free of the system.

John Wick 4's Trailer May Confirm A Big Winston Theory

John wick 4 why winston shot john wick

These revelations could mean the trailer confirms a big John Wick 4 Winston theory that he never meant to kill John in John Wick 3's ending. Winston is undoubtedly aware that any war he wants to have with the High Table has a better shot of going in his favor if Wick is alive and fighting on his side. It might still take John some convincing to put the past aside, but Bowery King could help sway his opinion. In either case, Winston's suggestion that John Wick's family is or can be connected to the High Table indicates how mutually beneficial their renewed alliance will be in John Wick: Chapter 4.

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