The number of great martial arts actors that could face Donnie Yen in his upcoming John Wick spinoff is endless. Famous for his roles in Ip Man, Hero, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Yen pulled out all the stops and went toe-to-toe with Keanu Reeves as the blind assassin named Caine in John Wick 4. The character was such a hit that a Caine John Wick spinoff is now in the works, joining The Continental and Ballerina in expanding the hit action franchise’s world.

The biggest question surrounding the spinoff is what big-name martial artist actor Donnie Yen will face. Some recognizable martial artists, like Mark Dacascos, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Scott Adkins have already made appearances in the series, so there’s likely to be a new face to the franchise, possibly a character who will appear in John Wick 5. The beauty of Donnie Yen being such a talented actor and martial artist is that he’s proven to have great chemistry with both older and younger actors, making the pool of his possible movie rivals extremely deep.

10

Jean-Claude Van Damme

The Muscles From Brussels

Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of the most recognizable and famous martial artists in Hollywood. Though he is mostly known for leading movies in the late ’80s and early ’90s, like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Universal Soldier, he’s proven he can play a great antagonist through films like No Retreat, No Surrender and The Expendables 2. Van Damme earned his black belt in Shotokan Karate at just 18 years old and also won the European Karate Championship in 1979.

Outside the straight martial arts genre, Van Damme has given great performances in the “Gun-Fu” subgenre that the John Wick movies fall into. His roles in films like Assassins, Pound of Flesh, and 6 Bullets are perfect primers for this style. Throughout his career, Van Damme has worked with excellent martial arts performers, including Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Michael Jai White, and Alain Moussi. Yen and Van Damme almost worked together when Yen was offered a role in Expendables 2, so exchanging blows in a John Wick spinoff would feel right at home in Van Damme’s acting wheelhouse.

9

Tony Jaa

Thailand’s “Jaa Phantom”

As one of the most underrated martial arts actors of all time, Tony Jaa would be a great foe for Donnie Yen in his John Wick spinoff. Jaa’s big break came in the early 2000s with his excellent performances in The Protector and Ong Bak films. Most recently, he’s finally popping up in American Hollywood films, playing one of the main characters in Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter and a former member of the titled team in Expend4bles. Jaa’s lightning-quick kicks, small stature, and showcasing of Muay Thai and Muay Boran fighting styles make him a great choice.

Originally inspired to become a martial artist by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, Tony Jaa, along with choreographer Panna Rittikrai, created their own fighting style in 2005 called Muay Kotchasaan. This is unique to other Thai fighting styles and was used in his Ong Bak films. Donnie Yen has extensive training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, Hapkido, and more, so seeing how multiple styles interact with one another through Yen and Jaa’s talents would be a real treat for the audience. The two have already worked together in the 20-minute action short, Gong Shou Dao, and in XXX: Return of Xander Cage.

8

Maggie Cheung

A Hong Kong Legend

Although Hong Kong martial arts legend Maggie Cheung technically retired in 2013, there’s no better way for her to return to the big screen than in one of the most revered action franchises of all time. Cheung is extremely talented in the art of Kung Fu and showcased those talents best in her films in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Her most notable role is as Su Li-zhen in Kar-Wai Wong’s In the Mood for Love, but she taps into her on-screen fighting skills in the Police Story films with Jackie Chan and Hero with Jet Li.

Donnie Yen and Maggie Cheung already have on-screen chemistry, as they both appeared in Hero and the 1992 martial arts thriller Dragon Inn. There haven’t been nearly enough women martial artists featured in the John Wick franchise. Cheung appearing, especially as a villain, would be huge for the franchise’s inclusivity and an all-around massive win for those who love great martial arts actors and performances. Cheung’s meek persona, along with her swift and sleek fighting style, would create a solid dissonance with Donnie Yen’s blind assassin.

7

Sammo Kam-Bo Hung

Hong Kong’s Dai Goh Dai (Big, Big Brother)

As an actor who has some of the most experience working in martial arts films with Donnie Yen, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung would be a perfect fit to play opposite Caine in his John Wick spinoff. Hung’s gruff, no-nonsense persona would be great for a mob boss-style villain who can still create some incredible hand-to-hand fight scenes. Hung is an expert in Wing Chun, a fast and close fighting style used by Bruce Lee and Donnie Yen. This makes sense, considering Hung worked as a choreographer for many Bruce Lee films and Yen’s Ip Man movies.

The actor could bring a sense of levity to the John Wick spinoff, which would play well against Yen’s Caine character. On top of helping to launch Jackie Chan’s career in Hollywood in martial arts comedies, Hung has acted as a lead in several comedy martial arts films, including Enter the Fat Dragon and Winners and Sinners. At the very least, Hung’s experience in martial arts choreography would ensure that Yen’s John Wick spinoff showcases some of the best close-combat fight scenes in the franchise.

6

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

The Perfect Villain

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has one of the most recognizable faces and voices in Hollywood. Memorable for coining “Your soul is mine!” as the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat movies, Tagawa is considered one of the best martial arts movie villains in Hollywood. Tagawa’s experience playing the bad guy, along with his skills in traditional Japanese Karate, would be a fun stylistic hurdle for Donnie Yen’s Caine to jump. The blind assassin could have issues fighting against a style he doesn’t know.

According to Martial Arts Encyclopedia, Tagawa started martial arts training in Japan at just five years old, then moved to the United States and continued his training in North Carolina, mastering pressure points. Yen and Tagawa have never shared the screen together, but the two still have a connection: Star Wars. Yen played the blind, force-sensitive Chirrut Îmwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Tagawa has done voice work in episodes of both Star Wars: Rebels and Star Wars: Visions. Their natural abilities to play the hero and villain would be a martial arts lover’s dream.

5

Iko Uwais

A Black Belt In Pencak Silat

Indonesian actor Iko Uwais is most known for his work in Gareth Evans’ The Raid movies and Netflix’s brutal martial arts thriller The Night Comes for Us. However, he is starting to make the transition over to Hollywood, as he recently took on the villain role in Expend4bles. Uwais is a master of Silat, a Southeast Asian fighting style that is known for its viciousness and realistic effectiveness, especially on the defensive end. Uwais has trained in Pencak Silat since he was 10 years old, holds a black belt in the style, and became a National Champion in 2005.

Like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, it would be interesting to see Donnie Yen fight against someone who uses a style he’s not familiar with. However, Uwais’ style would be perfect for close hand-to-hand fighting, and its brutality would be a great fit for the John Wick franchise. Uwais has already shown he can play a great villain in The Night Comes for Us, and he’s still in the prime of his career, so his martial arts choreography could be more extensive than some other actors. Uwais as a younger, cockier villain seems like a great matchup against Caine.

4

Joe Taslim

A Judo Champion

Iko Uwais isn’t the only Indonesian martial artist who would be great in a John Wick spinoff villain role. His often-on-screen fight partner, Joe Taslim, seems like an excellent option as well. In fact, seeing Yen face both Taslim and Uwais would be incredible. Taslim acted alongside Uwais in Raid: Redemption and opposite him in The Night Comes for Us.

Taslim is a master of the Judo style, as he was a member of the Indonesian national team for eight years and won three medals at the Southeast Asian Games. He also won a national gold medal in 2008. Judo isn’t the only style Taslim excels in; he’s proficient in Taekwondo and Wushu. Taslim doesn’t historically play villains, so it would be interesting to see him as one against Donnie Yen, but like Yen’s Caine, he could excel as an antihero.

3

Ziyi Zhang

A Martial Arts Movie Staple

Although Ziyi Zhang isn’t a traditionally trained martial artist, she is one of the most famous martial arts movie actresses in Hollywood. Her acting talents, experience as a dancer, and her knowledge of on-screen Kung Fu have landed her roles in massive films, including the four-time Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, Hero, and Memoirs of a Geisha. Her aptitude for dance translates well in “wire-fu” films.

Additionally, Zhang’s dainty, floating on-screen fighting style would offer a nice contrast to the heavy-hitting and often ferocious fight scenes in the John Wick universe. She’s already shared the screen three times with Donnie Yen: in Hero, The Founding of a Republic, and Netflix’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. Her acting roles typically have a reserved feel about them, so seeing her in a villainous role would be a major change.

2

Jet Li

One Of The Best On-Screen Martial Artists Ever

Jet Li is one of the most famous martial artists of all time. His extensive body of work in both Chinese and American cinema has made him an instantly recognizable A-lister across the world. Li being involved in a John Wick spinoff would immediately raise the bar both in the quality of martial arts exhibited in the film and the response in box office success. He’s shown off his skills in a plethora of massive American movies, including The Expendables, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and The One.

Jet Li and Donnie Yen have gone toe-to-toe in several films before, with Li almost blinding Yen on separate occasions. The two were childhood classmates at their martial arts school and have shared the screen eight times together. Most recently, they appeared together in Disney’s live-action Mulan as Commander Tung (Yen) and the Emperor (Li). The two have similar fighting styles and techniques, which is why their battles look so realistic and incredible on the screen. Seeing the two face off in such a high-profile film would be a win for the John Wick franchise.

1

Michelle Yeoh

And The Oscar Goes To…

Michelle Yeoh would be the perfect force to oppose Donnie Yen in the John Wick spinoff. Not only is she an incredible martial artist who is expertly trained in several different Chinese techniques, but she’s also an Academy Award-winning actress for her lead role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Across her 40-year career, she’s played the hero, the villain, and everything in between. She’s been in massive films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and has appeared in the MCU twice (as two different characters) in Shang-Chi and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen already have on-screen chemistry, as they’ve starred together in several films, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, Butterfly and Swords, and Wing Chun. Seeing Yeoh in an antagonist role against Donnie Yen would bring another level of star power to John Wick spinoff and franchise. Her fame and presence are strong enough that they could easily translate to her becoming a full-franchise character and villain in John Wick 5. Director Chad Stahelski has already stated he wants Yeoh to join the John Wick universe, perhaps making a role even more likely.

Source: Martial Arts Encyclopedia