2024’s John Wick Replacement Does What Keanu Reeves’ Franchise Took 9 Years To Do

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Monkey Man!

Monkey Man is very similar to the John Wick franchise, but Dev Patel’s 2024 action movie did something that took Keanu Reeves’ franchise nine years to do. Thanks to its revenge narrative and low-budget action movie design, comparisons between Monkey Man and John Wick began from the moment Patel’s film was announced. One of the questions that arose from this is whether Patel’s movie would be successful enough to be a new action franchise. The original John Wick movie was not necessarily made with franchise aspirations in mind, but its popularity led to a growing assassin universe.

While the John Wick comparisons are not always accurate, Monkey Man was able to borrow a lot from Keanu Reeves’ franchise. Part of the benefit for Patel is that there are four John Wick movies to draw inspiration from. This allowed Monkey Man a chance to copy some elements of the movies and subvert expectations in other ways. It’s something the film is fully aware of, too, as made clear by Monkey Man‘s John Wick Easter egg. And yet, Patel is not afraid to switch up his action movie from what Reeves has done. This includes delivering a major twist much earlier.

Monkey Man’s Ending Seemingly Kills Dev Patel’s Kid

Kid Appears To Die From His Final Fight

The big moment in Monkey Man‘s ending is the apparent death of Dev Patel’s character, Kid. The movie builds to him fighting back against the people who were responsible for killing his mother, culminating with a one-on-one encounter with a religious and political leader named Baba Shakti. Before Kid kills Baba, he is stabbed and left in a bad state. It initially seems as though Kid could survive this stabbing, but Monkey Man ends with Kid falling over. His body is not shown lying on the floor, as the film instead ends with a memory of his mother.

The ambiguity left about Kid’s fate in Monkey Man‘s ending leaves room for Dev Patel to reveal that Kid did not die from these wounds and was saved. The decision not to show Kid’s lifeless body, him bleeding on the floor, or taking his final breaths was deliberate. It leaves audiences guessing about what happened to Kid, with any idea for his survival or death being plausible. However, the current implication is that Kid dies after getting the revenge he so desperately sought. That is the fitting end to his journey in the movie.

John Wick Waited Four Movies Before Killing Keanu Reeves’ Character

John Wick: Chapter 4 Ends With John Wick’s Death

Monkey Man‘s decision to kill Kid at the end of the first movie is one of its biggest differences from John Wick. Keanu Reeves’ franchise continued to bring Baba Yaga back for multiple sequels, escalating the violence and vengeful missions he was part of. There was no thought of having John Wick die at the end of the original 2014 movie. Ideas for it to happen at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum were even disregarded. It was not until John Wick: Chapter 4‘s ending that the franchise decided to kill Keanu Reeves’ character.

John Wick’s death in John Wick 4 looks more definitive than Kid’s in Monkey Man. He is shot and bleeding out when he finally accepts his fate knowing he is about to rejoin his wife. It proved to be a great (potential) ending for John Wick’s story, one that took the franchise nine years to complete. However, the wait to give John Wick his most logical fate took much longer than Monkey Man. Dev Patel’s movie elected to seemingly kill Kid after only one movie and complete his main mission instead of stringing the story along.

Kid’s Fate Leaves Monkey Man 2 In The Same Position As John Wick 5

Both Sequels Will Need To Revive Dead Characters

There is great irony in Monkey Man‘s decision to kill Kid coming so soon after John Wick 4 killed John Wick. It now means that both franchises’ potential sequels are left in the same spot. If Monkey Man 2 happens, it surely would include the revelation that Kid did not die. This would allow Dev Patel’s character to return for another vengeful quest. There is no room to do a prequel following Kid’s adventures previously, while a Monkey Man sequel could see him continue to try and make India a better place to live and help those in need.

Just as how Monkey Man 2 happening is reliant on bringing back a character who is thought to be dead, the same is true of John Wick 5. While the John Wick franchise has other characters it can focus on, a fifth installment in the main franchise would only happen with Keanu Reeves returning as John Wick. Technically, prequels further exploring John Wick’s past could work, but they would likely feel less satisfying and more like cash grabs meant to extend the franchise. If Monkey Man did not make Kid’s death seem so clear, continuing the franchise would be easier.