John Wick: Chapter 5has a high bar to reach following the success ofChapter 4, and there are many obstacles ahead. The fourth film in theJohn Wickfranchiseended withBaba Yaga himself (Keanu Reeves) seemingly meeting his Makerafter winning his freedom from the High Table. This conclusion was a fitting end to John’s journey. Despite that, the movie still presented an opportunity for the saga to continue with its main protagonist due to its ambiguous ending.
Unsurprisingly, Lionsgate later brokethe news ofJohn Wick: Chapter 5’s development at CinemaCon 2025, with Reeves and director Chad Stahelski returning. While this may be good news for fans of Reeves and hisJohn Wickmovies, the upcoming film hasmultiple challenges to overcome if it is to be a worthy follow-uptoJohn Wick: Chapter 4. The franchise’s fifth chapter needs to be a natural, fitting addition to John’s story that adds to his character, all while featuring the fascinating characters and artistic ultraviolence that helped make the saga so popular.
1The Sequel Must Tell A Fresh Story
John Wick 5 Needs To Avoid Repeating Its Predecessors
After the firstJohn Wickmovie, the franchise has mainly been about the protagonist trying to escape death and his life of crime as he’s hunted down by countless assassins.John Wick: Chapter 5will have to stand out from the previous chapters by breaking this narrative trend.Chapter 4ended with John winning his freedom from the High Table after killing the Marquis, sothe sequel has already found a way to tell a unique story.
Fortunately, in an interview withEmpire, Stahelski has already shown he understands this. He teased the new direction that he intends to take the franchise in withJohn Wick: Chapter 5, sharing his plans for the protagonist’s character following the events of the fourth film. Based on Stahelski’s statement, it’s clear thatChapter 5will be a far different storythan what was seen in the last fewJohn Wickmovies. He explained:
The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick.It’s not a continuation, with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everyone [will] see the trailer and go, ‘Holy f***…I gotta see that.’
2John Wick Needs A Compelling New Threat
Since Stahelski stated that the High Table won’t be the main antagonist ofJohn Wick: Chapter 5,the sequel has some huge shoes to fill in that area. The council of crime lords has been the main antagonistic force of theJohn Wickfranchise, standing as an almost all-knowing, all-powerful organization constantly trying to control or kill John through one agent or several others. It has long served as the biggest threat to his existence.
If Reeves' character is finally free from the High Table afterJohn Wick: Chapter 4, the fifth movie needs to come up with a truly great villain that will really challenge John as a fighter and a person. One reason why the franchise has been so compelling for so long ishow it shows John facing such overwhelming odds organized by the High Table, making him a character to root for. Unless there’s another powerful crime syndicate lurking in the shadows, it’s hard to see howJohn Wick: Chapter 5can top that.
3It Needs A Strong Set Of New Characters
John Wick May Need A New Crew On His Next Adventure
Over the years, many interesting characters have walked in and out of theJohn Wickfranchise. The latter is mostly due to them getting killed off, as expected in their world of crime and killers. FollowingCharon’s (Lance Reddick) death inJohn Wick: Chapter 4, Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) seem to be the only mainstays of the franchise, given how they supported John throughout his quest. However, if John actually faked his death inChapter 4,it’s unclear if they’ll be involved with him againin the fifth film, as it may be best if he stays away from them.
John Wick: Chapter 5will likely have to come up with a compelling new cast to join John in his next adventure. Though characters like Caine (Donnie Yen), Akira (Rina Sawayama), and Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson) could return to aid him in his endeavors, it seems they are focused on their own adventures. This is especially likely since aCaine spinoff film is now in development. Since John now has the chance to start fresh after his supposed death,it would seem fitting that he finds a fresh group of alliesin the next chapter of his life.
Akira was recently confirmed to be returning in the upcoming Caine movie.
John could even train another young assassin to carry on his legacy and help them survive in their dangerous world.Such a character would give the franchise a new protagonistto follow and a new saga that doesn’t completely center around John.Reeves seemed ready to put John Wick behind himafterChapter 4when discussing the character’s “death.“Chapter 5could give him a satisfying exit while moving the franchise forward by giving John a protége.
4The Film Needs To Address The Impact Of John’s “Death”
The Baba Yaga’s Passing Still Needs To Mean Something
ThoughJohn Wick: Chapter 5will feature the return of Reeves' character,his supposed death still needs to have an effecton his world. He was already a legendary figure among his fellow assassins and the High Table, given his reputation as the dreaded Baba Yaga, and he seemed on his way to becoming a martyr during his war against the council.
After fighting off armies of assassins, killing the Elder, and winning his freedom from the High Table, John’s “death” would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the criminal underworld. This could affect how everyone sees themselves and those in power, whichcould even lead to more rebellions and changes in the High Table’s system. While John may have been ready to move on from his life of crime, the film should still address what his death meant for the world he left behind.
5Topping The Action
John Wick 5 Needs To Be Another Action-Packed Art Gallery
Thanks to the film’s creative minds and high production budget,John Wick: Chapter 4had some of the franchise’s most outstanding fight scenes. These violent spectacles include John’s long staircase fight and his Dragon’s Breath shootout. Since these battles left the franchise on such a high note,it’s hard to imagine how the filmmakers could toptheseaction scenes inJohn Wick: Chapter 5. Stahelski has expressed his desire to incorporate elements of Chinese cinema intoChapter 5in order to distinguish it from the other movies.
Specifically, the director has shared his love for the movies by Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Yimou, Tsui Hark, and John Woo, meaning the sequel shouldpresent fight scenes that pay homage to those seen in these filmmakers' works. PreviousJohn Wickmovies took inspiration from Samurai movies and the works of David Lean, Sergio Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Andrei Tarkovsky. Based on Stahelski’s comments, the fifth filmshould incorporate another distinctive style of action to help it stand out from previous chapters in the franchise.
6Explaining John Wick’s Return
How Does John Come Back From The Dead?
Time to address the elephant in the room. It looked like John Wick had died and was buried at theend ofJohn Wick: Chapter 4, with Winston and the Bowery King seemingly mourning his death. However,John’s body was never shownbeing put into the ground, and the grave didn’t even look freshly dug, leaving his true fate up for debate and the door open for another sequel with him, alive and well.
Throughout the franchise, John has survived several seemingly fatal injuries, far more than one person can handle. However, if the fifth film shows Baba Yaga alive and well, the sequel will have toconvincingly explain how he really survived without sounding too convoluted or far-fetchedfor audiences to be satisfied. The alternate ending toJohn Wick: Chapter 4, which showed an alive John looking at his tombstone, didn’t go over well with audiences and so was scrapped. It’s clear from this backlash that Wick’s “resurrection” inJohn Wick: Chapter 5can’t be a simple cop-out.
