7 Reasons John Wick 5 With Keanu Reeves Shouldn’t Happen, Despite Chapter 4’s $440M Success

Although it seems increasingly likely that John Wick 5 will bring back Keanu Reeves, there are many reasons why this wouldn’t be a wise choice for the franchise. The four John Wick movies so far have told the story of John’s war with the High Table, the mysterious organization which oversees the world of assassins. After making enemies with all the wrong people, John tries to clear his name while the price on his head keeps rising. He ultimately succeeds, but it costs him his life at a dramatic duel in Paris.

John Wick has changed the action genre, but the franchise has reached a new crossroads after the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4. John Wick 5 could decide the future of the franchise, so it’s no surprise that Keanu Reeves is being called on once more. However, given the nature of John’s death, his story has reached its natural conclusion. John Wick 5 might be more interesting without Reeves. There are other characters and other elements of the world which could take up more focus, proving that John Wick 5 should leave Reeves out.

7

Bringing John Wick Back From The Dead Is A Major Risk

Audiences might not accept a clumsy explanation

It’s not too unusual for major movie franchises to bring characters back from the dead, but there is so rarely a good explanation for why certain characters return. The Star Wars sequel trilogy has been mocked in some corners for the supposedly lazy way that Emperor Palpatine’s resurrection is explained, and that franchise even benefits from the luxury of a sci-fi setting where anything seems possible. John Wick has no such sci-fi lore that would explain a character literally rising from the dead, so the options are limited for John to come back.

The most likely way that John Wick could return would probably be for John Wick 5 to reveal that his death was staged. This would make sense for his friends and allies to band together to protect him from the High Table, but there isn’t really a way of pulling this off without retconning a part of Chapter 4. John Wick 5 could take place much later than Chapter 4, so it’s theoretically possible that John Wick might come out of hiding after a long time living in secrecy. However, whether fans of the franchise would accept this explanation is unlikely.

6

Chapter 4 Was The Perfect Ending For John

John is finally free, but he paid the ultimate price

Throughout the John Wick franchise, the titular assassin must live his life on the run. He’s constantly looking over his shoulder to see if the High Table’s assassins have finally caught up with him, no matter where he goes. His death at the end of Chapter 4 is his only way to earn freedom. It’s a tragic ending, but it’s also laced with happiness that John has found peace. It’s worth remembering that John’s journey started in the first movie with the death of his wife, so his own death is the perfect way to close out the loop.

Bringing John Wick back in some way, whether he fakes his own death or comes to life via some absurd sci-fi plot device, could threaten to undo the emotionally resonant finale of Chapter 4. It wouldn’t be wise for the franchise to spoil one of its most memorable moments, because this would taint any major emotional beats that it sets up in the future. Ian McShane, who plays Vincent, has suggested that Keanu Reeves deserves a break from John Wick, and the character also deserves some rest after coming to the end of his story.

5

The Prequel Route Would Be Too Predictable

Without the possibility that John might die, a prequel movie would fall flat

One way the franchise could maintain the integrity of Chapter 4‘s ending while still bringing Keanu Reeves back in the same role would be to make John Wick 5 a prequel, set before the events of the first movie. This might seem like a win-win situation, but it’s just as problematic as any other approach. Many franchises have pulled off successful prequels, but this might not work for John Wick. So much of the franchise’s appeal comes down to its nail-biting tension. Knowing that John has to come out unscathed would make a prequel much less compelling.

Without the inherent sense of jeopardy which action movies thrive on, a John Wick prequel would just be a carnival of stylized violence. Also, since the story would be so detached from the previous four movies, it probably wouldn’t be quite as interesting. Many of John Wick‘s best fight scenes are also thrilling out of context, but this doesn’t mean that a movie where John is bound to survive could still be as gripping. The franchise has only worked so well up to this point because the stakes of John’s journey are so clear.

4

John Wick’s Character Has Nowhere Left To Go

Chapter 5 would have to create an entirely new story for John

Chapter 4 finally puts an end to John’s quest for peace. Although he runs from the High Table and scores of other deadly assassins, the origin of his story comes from the death of his wife. His violent rage isn’t just about self-preservation. It’s also ruled by grief, and a righteous, hopeless anger at a world that refuses to let him be at peace in his lowest moment. With his fateful duel in Paris, John finally defeats the High Table and earns his freedom back. Even if he doesn’t get the opportunity to live a peaceful life, this is still a massive victory.

For John Wick 5 to work with Keanu Reeves in the title role, it would need to create a completely new story. John is free of the High Table, and there’s no good reason for him to return to his life as an assassin, so it’s not clear what direction John Wick 5 could take with the same character. Any new story would likely feel too contrived. The other option would be for John to somehow fall on the wrong side of the High Table once again and continue on with business as usual for the franchise, but this would also be an uninspired plot choice.

3

The Franchise Could Become Too Complicated

Part of John Wick’s appeal is its simplicity

The first John Wick movie is one of the simplest action movies ever made. It’s a story about a retired assassin who seeks revenge against a criminal organization, and that’s all the context that’s needed. As the franchise has progressed, it has introduced more oddities and vernacular within the world of John Wick. There are tons of mysterious characters with descriptive titles, but the emotional core of the franchise has always been deceptively simple. It’s also extremely relatable, despite its obscure bureaucracy, because it’s about a man fighting for survival.

Bringing John Wick back from the dead would probably complicate matters for the worse. There won’t be a single reason that’s as compelling and universal for John to continue on the same path, and the franchise could risk wading too deep into the politics of the High Table and the rules which govern the world of assassins. Creating a new story for John out of thin air is a huge risk, but cooking up a way for him to carry on fighting his oppressors would probably be just as complicated. John Wick works brilliantly with a clear plot and simple character motivations.

​​​​​​​

2

There Are Other Characters Who Could Take Over

Chapter 4 ends with a few other characters ready to step in as the lead

Although Chapter 4 ends with John Wick dead, there are some other characters who could be interesting leads for John Wick 5. It’s always a risk shifting focus from the main character within such a popular franchise, but Chapter 4 already laid the foundations for someone else to step into the spotlight. The two most likely candidates are Akira and Mr. Nobody. Both of them have legitimate reasons to continue the war against the High Table, and John could act as a martyr in their struggles if John Wick 5 chooses to follow their stories.

John Wick: Chapter 4‘s post-credits scene shows Akira approaching Caine with a knife in her hand. There’s a cut to black before she gets too close to him, so it’s still a mystery if she managed to kill him or not. Either way, this event could signal what’s to come for John Wick 5, with Akira or Caine stepping in as the main character. The Bowery King and Sofia could also be interesting choices. Bringing John Wick back to life would probably mean that these other characters would be stuck in supporting roles once again.

1

John Wick Has Already Seen Diminishing Returns

Now is the perfect time for the franchise to take a bold new direction

John Wick shook up the action genre from the moment it was released in 2014, and the franchise has continued making waves over the past decade. However, although the franchise has continued pushing the boundaries with its incredible action sequences, there are a few signs that it may be starting to falter slightly. John Wick‘s first TV spinoff, The Continental, received mixed reviews, and Ana de Armas’ Ballerina spinoff movie is undergoing extensive reshoots. Ballerina could still be a big success, but the retooling suggests that the franchise is wary that its next steps must be prudent.

John Wick could become just another action franchise lost in a sea of imitators if it doesn’t keep up its streak of bold originality. Resurrecting John Wick would be a clear indicator that the franchise fears treading new ground, which would be a big shame for something that was once so revolutionary. John Wick 5 could decide the fate of the franchise. It could focus on other characters and other stories, which would risk alienating the audience, but could turn out to expand the scope of the franchise. The other option is to quit while the franchise is still ahead, and let John’s death be the end, but this seems unlikely.