2014 was one of the best years in movie history, with amazing films being released in every genre, including the slowly saturating action flicks.Bad CGI, excessive slow-motion, and a frustrating overuse of the shaky cameramake action films from the late 1990s and early 2010s seem like remakes of the same mediocre and bland action movies which served as the blueprint for them. However, 2014 permanently transformed the genre into its current form with Chad Stahelski’s seminal film,John Wick. It is anaction movie that shockingly exceeded expectationswith its grounded character design, realistic choreography, and gorgeous cinematography.
The movie’s cultural impact was so great that theJohn Wickfranchisenow comprises a spin-off show and a spin-off movie, with sequels planned,alongside four feature films in the main saga. While the titular character’s death inJohn Wick: Chapter 4(2023) made it seem like the main saga was over,John Wick 5with Keanu Reeves has been confirmedto be a sequel that will continue Baba Yaga’s story. While this is a great decision for many reasons, there are a few arguments to be made as to why itshould have been a prequel.
10Chance To See Him Become The Best
He Is Regarded As Being Impossible To Stop From The Beginning
One of the best scenes in 2014’sJohn Wickis the introduction of the character’s assassin persona, which is edited into a montage of him meticulously digging up his effects from his assassin days after breaking through concrete with a sledgehammer, while a voiceover from another character describes his reputation. He first scolds his son for killing Wick’s dog by saying,“It’s not what you did, son, that angers me so. It’s who you did it to.“He then goes on to explain that the protagonist is known as Baba Yaga, someone capable of even killing the Boogeyman.
While this mythology creates an intriguing and dangerous hero for viewers to root for, and there are glimpses of his patience in his actions during the four films, it’s considered cowardly or suicidal to confront him. A prequel could provide a glimpse intohow he earns the reputation that precedes him.The journey of a young Wick quickly rising through the ranks on his way to becoming an unstoppable force of nature would make for a fantastic action movie.
John Wick Has A High Body Count
The main appeal of aJohn Wickmovie is his ability to power through waves of enemies while ensuring no one he fights lives to fight him again. A proficient killing machine, Wick disposes of trained assassins and killers like they are pins at a bowling alley, and even his most difficult fights usually end with his victory. Apart from Willem Dafoe’s Marcus inJohn Wick,the titular character has killed all the interesting side charactersin the film franchise.
Akira and Caine may have survived inJohn Wick: Chapter 4, but the post-credits scene suggests that Akira is targeting Caine, leaving both their futures uncertain.
Each chapter in the saga introduces a host of trained assassins played by decorated actors. Among them,Ruby Rose wants to return in a spinoff as Ares, the mute assassin she played inJohn Wick: Chapter 2. However, it might be difficult to justify making specific spinoffs for every interesting secondary character in the saga. IfJohn Wick 5had been a prequel, it would have seen characters like Marcus, Ares, Cassian (Common), Akira (Rina Sawayama), and Caine (Donnie Yen).
8John Wick’s Backstory Can Be Explored
We Don’t Know How He Started
Part of John Wick’s charm as a hero is his mysterious background and the lack of information given about his past, both as a person and as an assassin. The only known details enhance his reputation as a killer and deepen his thirst for revenge in the first film.BallerinaprovesJohn Wick’s future is in good hands, and part of the film’s appeal is being able to see Ana de Armas' Eve Macarro’s backstory. The spinoff shows not only how she becomes an adept assassin, but how she joins the Ruska Roma.
Similarly, discovering John Wick’s past and childhood will be an interesting experience. While revealing his backstory risks demystifying him, after four movies, it can be argued that it’s time to get his origin story rather than leave him as a mystery.How he developed a relationship with Winston (Ian McShane) and started working for the crime syndicatesunder the Continental High Table are questions that have gone unanswered, and a prequel would have been able to address them.
7Can Confirm Theories
There Are Many Burning Fan Theories
A long-running movie franchise about such a mysterious man like John Wick is bound to make audiences create theories about him and his relationship with the numerous side characters. While some of them might get confirmed in the future if the films continue to be sequels,the most interesting theories are based on his past.
One of his tattoos might hint at Wick being a marine.
For instance, one of his tattoos might hint at Wick being a marine, which would also explain his expertise. There’s also a theory that his wife Helen, who dies in the prologue of the first movie, might have been an assassin herself, but very little is ever revealed about her. Wick’s parents being assassins is another similar theory. However, theWinston being John Wick’s father-in-law theoryis quite feasible, and a prequel could officially confirm it.
6John Wick Got The Perfect Goodbye
His Final Scene Is Perfect
Obviously, there is some hope that John could still be alive. Over the course of four movies, he has survived impossible tasks, including some remarks about his past. So, it would make sense to watch him eventually survive, irrespective of how badly the odds are stacked against him.John Wick: Chapter 4ensures that he survived almost all his obstacles and accomplished his mission before breathing his last. While his death is sobering, there is a beautiful sense of finality, a climactic peace that lulls him into his final sleep.
There is a sense thatJohn Wick feels fulfilled in his death and isn’t bitter about his demise, as sad as it is. The music, the lighting, Reeves' fantastic performance, and the blissful atmosphere on the steps where he sits all contribute to giving Wick the best farewell he could possibly ask for, especially as he is finally freed from the High Table. One of the mainreasonsJohn Wick 5shouldn’t happenas a sequel is the need to retcon this scene and ruin the perfect climax by turning it into a lie.
5John Wick Is Too Epic To Die
He Is Larger-than-life
Because the character is quiet, his action sequences seem grounded, and he is constantly an underdog despite his reputation, it is easy to forget that John Wick is a larger-than-life character. Every myth about himpaints the picture of a man who is impossible to kill. People call it a lost cause to attempt to fight him, and as seemingly realistic the fights have been, Wick survived impossible situations even without any backing.
He is indeed unkillable, and as disappointing as it will be to watch the poetic and perfect farewell be undone, it will make sense to see him emerge alive.
While it will putJohn Wickin the same category of ridiculous action franchises that don’t know or refuse to learn restraint, bringing the character back for a sequel will just cement his reputation. He is indeed unkillable, and as disappointing as it will be to watch the poetic and perfect farewell be undone, it will make sense to see him emerge alive. It will ruin the film franchise’s reputation of being brooding, realistic, and unafraid to punch hard, but watching Wick come back will make him more larger-than-life while still retaining his air of seriousness.
4The High Table Plot Can Continue
It Doesn’t Work Without John Wick
There is already a spin-off show,The Continental, focusing on Winston and his journey to becoming the influential man he is in the franchise. However, Reeves' return inBallerinaproved that the franchise may not have enough steam to keep going without him, as he has a much bigger presence than expected, and might arguably have the best line in the film. The fact thatThe Continentalwasn’t renewed for season 2is further evidence in favor of this.
Director Chad Stahelski has already said thatJohn Wick 5will be very different from the other movies, causing speculation that the film may abandon the High Table arc altogether.
So, even if there are significant angles left for the writers to explore, doing so without Reeves as John Wick might not be feasible. That’s whyJohn Wick 5being a sequel is a great idea. If it weren’t a sequel, the rest of the High Table subplot, which will largely follow Winston, wouldn’t be possible to complete. Though John Wick’s relationship with the High Table will have changed after the events ofChapter 4,he would need to return in some capacity, even if it were for a cameoin a spin-off movie centered around Winston.
3Wick Can Try Quitting This Life Again
The Impossible Task Has Only Been Mentioned In Passing
WhenJohn Wickstarts, the titular protagonist hasn’t been an assassin for a while, and it is revealed that he successfully completed a seemingly impossible task to earn his freedom. Then,John Wick: Chapter 2, anaction movie sequel better than the original film, reveals that the protagonist had some help in completing it. However, from Chapter 2 onwards, everyone keeps telling Wick that he can’t possibly quit again.
John Wick is a man of focus, as every movie loves to point out, and it’s reasonable to assume he can successfully leave life as an assassin behind if he wants to. One can only imagine what impossible task he will have to complete for that, but having heard stories of it, there is intrigue about what that task actually was. Watching him fight forhis freedom to go back to life as it was before his dog was killedwill always leave viewers satisfied in regard to concluding Wick’s saga.
2More Cameos & Crossovers
There Are Other Side Projects In The Works
From the World of John Wick: Ballerinaintroduces de Armas as Eve Macarro, who might be leading her solo franchise within theJohn Wickuniverse soon, if the film turns over enough profit. Similarly, there is confirmation of a spinoff that focuses on Caine, Yen’s character fromJohn Wick: Chapter 4. With the universe expanding, there could be more spinoff announcements, separate movie franchises, and shows.
Such crossovers and cameos will only be possible becauseJohn Wick 5is a sequel and will bring John Wick back to life.
SinceBallerina’s events happen betweenJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – ParabellumandJohn Wick: Chapter 4, no mental gymnastics were necessary to justify John Wick’s cameo in the movie. However, from hereon, such crossovers and cameos will only be possible becauseJohn Wick 5is a sequel and will bring John Wick back to life. Without him, success isn’t guaranteed, and the fifth installment being a sequel not only allows for more cameos, it alsopotentially makes more spinoffs and solo franchises possible.
1No Need to Recast or De-age Reeves
There Is Only One Person Who Can Play John Wick
Reeves was perfectly cast in theJohn Wickmovies, because his reputation for playing action heroes, fromSpeedtoThe Matrix, coupled with his softer acting skills make him the ideal person to portray the humanized but larger-than-life action hero. John Wick might even be the most iconic of his roles, even more than Neo from theMatrixfranchise. So, it is quite impossible to imagine anyone else playing John Wick.
Making a live-action prequel toJohn Wick, especially one that explores his past as a child or as an up-and-coming assassin, risks needing to recast Reeves as Wick or use technology to de-age him. Neither of the choices retains the iconic look that Reeves has brought to the character five times now. In a way,it’s a relief thatJohn Wick 5is a sequel, because that ensures Wick will keep looking like that and will retain his suave, wounded, charismatic, and dangerous aesthetic for at least one more film.
John Wick
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.
