While the end of John Wick : Chapter 4 seemed to end the book on the story of the master assassin, fans and producers alike were eager to see another entry in the John Wick franchise. Director Chad Stahelski steps in to offer his thoughts on the matter and explains why he was hesitant to take on John Wick : Chapter 5.
Released in 2014, John Wick took the action genre by storm, and its sequels continue to bring audiences to theaters around the world. Stahelski’s background as a stunt performer and stunt director has played a major role in the franchise’s success. His knowledge of stunt work has allowed the John Wick movies to rely heavily on creative, intricate and convincingly complex action scenes. But the fact that these films play to Stahelski’s strengths doesn’t mean they’re easy for him.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Stahelski discussed the possibility of John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5. Addressing the fact that Lionsgate approached him to film John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5 back-to-back, Stahelski explained why he turned down the studio. “I just feel like, as a director, I’m involved in a project where I’m making two films at the same time, and it’s just. I can’t think of one that’s. at least for me, I don’t know how I’m going to do it. It’s just that, creatively, I don’t know how to approach this,” Stahelski said.
Stahelski also highlights how important it is to him to find time between these films. “I think the most important part is after every John Wick, I took two years off to live, to get better, to do everything we were just talking about, to travel, to read more, to get better,” he said . “I don’t know how to do one movie in a row and do better for the second because they’re going to come out a year apart, right?” Stahelski did clarify that John Wick: Chapter 5 isn’t off the table, saying,’ Again, very grateful for the opportunity, if it ever materializes at some point in the future, I don’t know what John Wick 5 is now, I might have ideas, we have ideas, pieces of stuff, but I think I need a little time to breathe, Check out how this is done.
Whether John Wick: Chapter 5 happens or not, the world created by the franchise is far from complete. The Continental is an upcoming miniseries that explores the secret world of the assassin who lived in John Wick, but is set in the 1970s to fight the rise of the American Mafia. Ana de Armas to star in John Wick spin-off film Ballerina, which takes place in John Wick : Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick : Between Chapter 4, including cameos by Keanu Reeves and Lance Redick. Both items travel back in time and tell more stories in the John Wick universe – nothing has been confirmed for items that take place after the events of John Wick : Chapter 4.
While John Wick’s fate looks pretty sure at the end of John Wick : Chapter 4, Stahelski seems to believe that John Wick has a path forward. It’s unclear if the way forward includes Reeves’ John Wick or other assassins. It’s hard to imagine a John Wick movie without a main character. Without Reeves at the center, the films that follow risk being run-of-the-mill action flicks with little to differentiate them from the rest of the franchise. However, Stahelski has been successful so far; fans should trust that if the franchise lives on, Stahelski will ensure its continued quality.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is now in theaters.