Summary
- Keanu Reeves reached a breaking point during the production of John Wick: Chapter 4, feeling physically and emotionally drained from the demanding stunts and intense performances required for his character.
- Reeves requested for John Wick to meet a definitive end in the film so that he could finally take a much-needed break, but the production team left a slight opening, about 10%, for the character’s potential return in the future.
- Chad Stahelski, the director, has teased the potential return of John Wick, with an alternate ending that could offer a fresh perspective on the character’s fate and future possibilities. Reeves is also enthusiastic about returning if the right narrative emerges.
Keanu Reeves found himself at a breaking point during the production of John Wick: Chapter 4. The film marked a pivotal moment in the franchise as it concluded with Wick’s victorious duel against Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont but at the cost of his own life. Despite the film’s immense success and plans for spin-offs within the franchise, Reeves was physically and emotionally drained by the demanding stunts and intense performances required for his character. Producer Basil Iwanyk revealed in an interview with Collider that Reeves had reached a point of exhaustion, where he requested for John Wick to meet a definitive end in the film so that he could finally take a much-needed break.
However, the production team couldn’t entirely close the door on the character. Iwanyk and the filmmakers understood the toll the franchise took on Reeves but ultimately decided to leave a slight opening, about 10%, for John Wick’s potential return in the future. He explained:
“After the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movie, making these films is so exhausting and it destroys Keanu, physically and emotionally. By the end, he’s always like, ‘I can’t do this again,’ and we agree with him. The guy is just a shell of himself because he just goes off and goes for it. He was like, ‘I wanna be definitively killed at the end of this movie.’ We were like, ‘You know, we’ll leave a 10% little opening.'”
Keanu Reeves Open to John Wick’s Return with the Right Story
Chad Stahelski, the director behind the John Wick franchise, has recently teased the potential return of the character. In an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stahelski discussed an alternate ending that could pave the way for John Wick’s comeback. This ending would depict John Wick standing over his own grave, offering a fresh perspective on the character’s fate and future possibilities. Stahelski reflected on his evolving approach to filmmaking, highlighting his willingness to explore unconventional ideas, even if they initially seem uninspired.
Keanu Reeves is also enthusiastic about the prospect of resurrecting John Wick if the right narrative emerges. Stahelski shared that in discussions with Reeves, the actor expressed a resounding “F— yeah!” when asked if he’d be willing to return. However, the challenge lies in crafting a compelling storyline that resonates with both the audience and the character.
“Yeah, Keanu and I’ve talked. Keanu, if you ask him right now, ‘Would you do John Wick 5?’ He’d be, ‘F— yeah!’ But then he’d look and go, ‘Well, what is it? I have no f—ing idea.’ And believe me, it’s not like, ‘We’re going to figure it out today.’
We have a lot of set pieces, we have a lot of ideas, we have a lot of things that we didn’t go or didn’t do before. I have no doubt that we’d come up with a lot of great pieces. It just, ‘What’s the main threat?’ We’re about myths. It’s like a fable. What’s the message in the fable? What’s the moral of the story?”
