Yeah … we’re thinking he’s back. Keanu Reeves is officially set to return for John Wick 5. During Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation, the studio highlighted its plans for the ever-expanding action franchise, confirming an animated prequel film and a spinoff about Donnie Yen’s character, Caine. But undoubtedly the biggest reveal is that Reeves will headline a fifth installment in the mainline series, working once again with longtime John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Lionsgate did not share any John Wick 5 story details during the panel, and it is unknown when the film is hoping to start production.
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The John Wick filmmakers addressed the challenge of returning for another film following John Wick: Chapter 4‘s ending (which saw John die). “Keanu, Chad, [producer Basil Iwanyk], and [producer Erica Lee] would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world,” Lionsgate exec Adam Fogelson said (via Variety).
“It’s so important to get this story right and give John’s story the proper next step. It’s exciting to take the first step on that road,” Lee and Iwanyk said.
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Though John Wick 5 has been in development for a while (Lionsgate confirmed to us last month the film was being worked on), Reeves’ involvement had been uncertain up until now. In March, the actor himself was quite blunt about a possible return to the franchise, reminding people that John died at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, seemingly concluding the character’s story. He had also previously suggested that the physical demands of the role were starting to become too much for him.
Before Reeves stars in John Wick 5, he will appear in this summer’s spinoff Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro. The film takes place between the events of John Wick 3 and John Wick 4. Lionsgate has made sure to highlight Reeves’ involvement in marketing materials, as John Wick has been prominently featured in the trailers released thus far.
It’s very exciting that Reeves is coming back to what is a career-defining role, but this development raises some questions. When audiences last saw Mr. Wick, he perished following his duel against Caine; Winston and the Bowery King even visited John’s grave to pay their respects. Their conversation made it sound like John had definitely passed, so it remains to be seen how this plot point is reversed. Perhaps John got stitched up by The Doctor after the duel and the headstone was part of an elaborate ruse to fake John’s death. It will be very interesting to see how Stahelski and Co. handle this. The John Wick 4 ending was emotionally resonant, as John was laid to rest next to his beloved wife. Undoing that comes with great risk, but the John Wick films have earned universal acclaim. Especially considering Reeves’ earlier comments, the band likely wouldn’t have gotten back together unless a great idea was in place.
There’s also the matter of narrative stakes. Each John Wick installment ramped things up, going from simple revenge thriller to all-out war against the High Table as the series went on. As renowned as the franchise’s penchant for worldbuilding is, there doesn’t appear to be a logical, organic place for John’s story to go (especially since he was freed from the High Table in John Wick 4). While it will probably be a while before John Wick 5 hits theaters, hopefully Stahelski or Reeves can shed light on what they have in mind soon, providing some much-needed clarity.
