After some recent disappointments in the action genre, the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina, offers Ana de Armas the perfect opportunity at redemption. Ana de Armas’ Ballerina spinoff provides plenty of reasons to be excited as it will be the first John Wick movie that doesn’t feature Keanu Reeves as the central character. Reeves will still appear in the film, but it’s de Armas who will take the leading role and begin the next phase of the John Wick universe. While this is great news for the franchise, it is also great for de Armas after her recent action movies.

Although de Armas is an Oscar-nominated actress, her latest outings in the action genre didn’t go according to plan. She was involved in two major disappointments that cast some doubt on her action credentials, despite showing her skills previously. While there is no denying de Armas’ talent, she has struggled to recover from this, with her most recent action disaster being her latest cinematic appearance. Fortunately, she does have a massive opportunity to turn this around thanks to the John Wick franchise, as Ballerina is the perfect movie to allow de Armas some much-needed redemption.

Ballerina Can Make Up For The Disappointment Of Ghosted & The Gray Man

De Armas’ John Wick Spinoff Offers A Chance At Redemption After Back-To-Back Disappointments

With Ghosted and The Gray Man both being released to poor receptions, Ballerina gives de Armas the perfect chance to return to form in the action scene. Although Ana de Armas’ Ghosted movie broke viewership records for Apple TV+, its reviews were extremely poor, with a 25% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes emphasizing its critical struggles. The Gray Man performed slightly better a year prior, even achieving a 90% audience score, but its 45% Tomatometer rating and 6.5 on IMDb proved that both of de Armas’ recent action films struggled to make much of a critical impact.

Naturally, this led to both movies receiving heavy criticism despite their impressive viewership figures, creating a worrying trend for de Armas. Both films may have had some fun action sequences, but they lacked substance and felt like easily watchable streaming movies rather than a theatrical action experience. Thankfully, Ballerina provides Ana de Armas with an optimistic future as the John Wick universe already has plenty of success to capitalize on. Joining such a popular franchise and helping take it forward is the best way to make up for her recent disappointments and repair her reputation within the action genre.

Having starred in two underwhelming action films in quick succession, the cinematic presence of John Wick is just what de Armas needs to recover. So long as Ballerina can match the big expectations set previously by the franchise, the spinoff will undoubtedly give de Armas a hit new action series and make critics forget all about Ghosted and The Gray Man.

No Time To Die Already Proved That Ana De Armas Is An Action Star

Ana De Armas Put In An Incredible Performance As Paloma

Despite the disappointment of Ghosted and The Gray Man, 2021’s No Time to Die proved Ana de Armas is an action star. De Armas may have had a limited role, but her performance as Paloma was easily one of the highlights of the film, proving just how well she can shine in the right environment. Her latest outings may not have gotten the best out of her, but de Armas’ James Bond role perfectly utilized her skills. She provided the film with some well-placed humor while still coming across as a capable action hero, despite her bubbly personality.

Her stellar performance means it will be hard for Ballerina to replicate de Armas’ excellent No Time to Die showing, but the John Wick franchise has a lot more in common with James Bond than her recent action flops. James Bond is a massive action franchise with years of history, and while John Wick isn’t quite as iconic, it is a huge cinematic spectacle in its own right. John Wick may lack the humor that allowed de Armas’ James Bond performance to work so well, but the action and drama of the franchise will definitely suit her skill set.

Why The John Wick Franchise Is Perfect For Ana De Armas

John Wick Already Has All The Tools Necessary To Make Ballerina A Success

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

The John Wick franchise is the perfect fit for Ana de Armas to bounce back from her recent struggles. Although the franchise’s televised spinoff didn’t perform particularly well, all four John Wick movies have had positive receptions and strong box office performances, while amassing a huge audience. The gun-fu films are some of the most high-quality action movies around, and it is the perfect way for de Armas to reestablish herself as a star of the genre. Each film pushes the boundaries of close-quarters combat and always offers fresh new stunts for viewers to enjoy.

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Related

Thankfully, Ana de Armas’ John Wick Movie Won’t Fall Into A Typical Spinoff Trap

It’s hard not to be cautiously excited about Ballerina, but the Ana de Armas John Wick film is on the right track to be better than most spin-offs.

John Wick also has an engaging story and incredible world-building, indicating de Armas would be walking into an already successful franchise. Given Ballerina will potentially be Keanu Reeves’ last outing as the central character, fans will be all the more interested in checking the film out, giving it a solid selling point. With the franchise having such a successful history, the spinoff has all the tools it needs to be a hit; therefore, starring alongside Reeves makes Ballerina the perfect next film for de Armas to remind everyone of her action-star credentials.

Ballerina Temp Movie Poster

Ballerina

Not Yet Rated
Action
Thriller

Ballerina is a spinoff movie set in the universe of John Wick. Ana de Armas will play the titular role, a character who appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum as a child ballerina who was being trained to become an assassin eventually. In Ballerina, the story follows de Armas’ character, who wants revenge on those who murdered her family. 

Director

Len Wiseman

Release Date

June 7, 2024

Studio(s)

Summit Entertainment
, Thunder Road Films
, 87Eleven Productions

Distributor(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Shay Hatten
, Emerald Fennell

Cast

Ana De Armas
, Anjelica Huston
, Gabriel Byrne
, Lance Reddick
, Catalina Sandino Moreno
, Norman Reedus
, Ian McShane
, Keanu Reeves

Franchise(s)

John Wick

Sequel(s)

John Wick: Chapter 4

prequel(s)

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
, John Wick: Chapter 2
, John Wick

Main Genre

Action