John Wick 5has the potential to be a huge addition to Keanu Reeves’ ever-growing filmography. However, the movie also has some big obstacles to overcome before it can be viewed as the modern classic that thepreviousJohn Wickinstallmentsare. The upcoming installment could either spark a new phase of Reeves’ career or remind audiences why the franchise should have ended back in 2023.
Thankfully, there are several reasons why I’m convinced thatJohn Wick 5will be a success, even though all the odds seem to be stacked against it. The actor has proven over the years thatbetting against him is never a good idea, and even Reeves’ most controversial projects offer lessons to be learned.
John Wick 5 Will Need To Bring Keanu Reeves' Hero Back From The Dead
The Protagonist Was Seemingly Killed In The Previous Movie
The biggest problem going intoJohn Wick 5is that it has the unfortunate task of rewriting theending ofJohn Wick 4, where Reeves’ protagonist was seemingly killed in a duel with Bill Skarsgard’s villainous Marquis.The ending was a very powerful conclusion to his character arc, allowing him to settle his debts with the High Table without escaping the consequences of his actions altogether.
This ending clearly has to be retconned forJohn Wick 5to happen, somehow explaining how the titular hero survived the encounter. There’s beenno indication that the movie will be a prequel or spinoff, so it’s safe to assume the story will take place after Wick’s supposed death. Despite Reeves’ excitement for the project, bringing Wick back still feels like a cheap and unnecessary twist.
The Previous Attempt At Resurrecting A Keanu Reeves Character Didn’t Work
Neo’s Ending Was Changed In A Way That Many Fans Didn’t Like
For living proof of how dangerous this kind of retroactive resurrection can be, look no further than Reeves’ own filmography.The Matrix Resurrectionsbrought back one of the actor’s most beloved characters, Neo, after almost two decades, andthat project was met with hugely divisive reviews. Despite Lana Wachowski’s topical screenplay, it didn’t particularly feel like a movie that needed to be made.
UnlessJohn Wick 5is extremely careful with its decision to bring the protagonist back from the dead, it could end up going down the same road asThe Matrix Resurrections.Neo’s story had a very satisfying ending inThe Matrix Revolutions, and the latest sequel rewrote much of that powerful subtext just to bring the character back for another spin.
And once these characters are back, it’s much harder to say goodbye to them again. This is already obvious fromJohn Wick’s appearance inBallerina. The character wasn’t necessary to the story, but the writers still felt the need to include him in the marketing to get audiences to watch the film. IfJohn Wickbecomes over-reliant on Reeves, it’s hard to see a future for the series.
John Wick 5 Will Likely Be More Successful Than The Matrix Resurrections
John Wick 5 Doesn’t Feel Quite As Risky As The Matrix Sequel
However, comparingJohn Wick 5toThe Matrix Resurrectionscomes with its own set of inconsistencies.TheMatrixfranchisehad already been heading downhill since the very first sequel, but this isn’t a problem thatJohn Wickhas experienced. If anything,that franchise has consistently been getting better over the years, so there’s no reason to believe the fifth movie would lose its touch.
As much as I’m hesitant about Reeves coming back for a fifthJohn Wickmovie, I’m not quite convinced that it’s going to be as much of a critical and commercial letdown asThe Matrix Resurrections. TheJohn Wicksequels have consistently performed well at the box office,with the most recent installment managing almost $450 million worldwide.
Ballerinamay not have been the huge box office successthat mostJohn Wickmovies have been, but its $131 million worldwide gross (viaBox Office Mojo) is still fairly impressive for a spinoff movie that’s essentially serving as the beginning of a new series. There’s clearly still some interest inJohn Wick, and it’s hard to imagine that audiences will pass on Reeves’ return.
How John Wick Could Return In John Wick 5
There Are Several Interesting Routes The Story Could Take
AlthoughJohn Wick 5is officially in development with production scheduled to take place over the summer months, there has still been no comment from the cast or crew about how exactly John Wick survived his encounter with the Marquis. So far, the studio has done a brilliant job of keeping the sequel’s plot tightly under wraps.
While it’s unlikely that the fifth installment will manage to keep the details of the protagonist’s return a secret right up until release, audiences will probably have to wait until the movie’s first trailer before learning about Wick’s fate. Thankfully,countless interestingtheories aboutJohn Wick 5couldhelp shed some light on the unlikely sequel.
Many fans are speculating that Caine had something to do with the secret plan, since he was Wick’s opponent and wanted revenge on the Marquis for threatening his family.
Clearly, John Wick managed to survive his duel somehow. Many audiences are speculating that Caine had something to do with the secret plan, since he was Wick’s opponent and wanted revenge on the Marquis for threatening his family. Alternatively, it’s also possible thatWick managed to survive Caine’s bullet by pure chance, and his allies would have been able to get him swift medical help.
John Wick: Chapter 5
Cast
John Wick: Chapter 5 continues the story of Keanu Reeves' iconic assassin. The movie picks up after the events of John Wick: Chapter 4, which seemed to end with the death of “Baba Yaga.”
