John Wick’s war against the High Table has been wagered for four films now, but the action franchise doesn’t appear to be letting up anytime soon.
Keanu Reeves returns as the titular assassin in chapter 4, in which his character must go up against the Marquis (Bill Skarsgård) in order to finally win his freedom. To do this he goes by the old rules and challenges the villain to a duel.
But while John is on a path towards the Marquis, there are other ways in which the film sets up the next installation in the franchise, even if the franchise’s future is uncertain. Here is everything that you need to know.
In the first half of chapter 4, John visits The Continental in Osaka which is run by Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada) with the help of his daughter, and Concierge, Akira (Rina Sawayama).
The Marquis sends Caine (Donnie Yen) and his men to the Continental in order to track down John, and in the ensuing firefight, John manages to escape but Shimazu is killed by Caine in one-to-one combat.
When Akira tries to face him, Caine warns her that she shouldn’t attack him but says that he “will be waiting for her” to seek out revenge.
This, it turns out, is the key to a potential fifth film because a post-credit scene reveals that Akira is going to exact her vengeance on the blind killer who took down her father.
In a brief clip, Caine can be seen with flowers in hand as he walks towards his daughter Mia (Aimée Kwan), but as he does this Akira comes into view and walks purposefully towards him.
Before the clip fades to black, Akira takes out a blade from her pocket which she clearly intends to use against Caine, though the fight is not shown.
Given the major death that happens at the end of the film, which we will avoid spoiling here, it would certainly make sense if the franchise moves its focus onto Akira’s story and her quest for revenge.
Director Chad Stahelski spoke to The Hollywood Reporters about the possibility of a fifth film, in which he hinted at the possibility of a Japan-based sequel.
“In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment,” the filmmaker said. “We’re going to give John Wick a rest. I’m sure the studio has a plan. If everyone loves it and it goes kooky, then we’ll take a quiet minute.
“Wick’s always, for some weird reason, always get the latest release date in Japan. It’s always like, three months later. If it’s the same this time, we’ll do a Japanese tour and release the movie in September.
“Keanu and I will take the long trip to Tokyo, we’ll sit in the Imperial Hotel Scotch Bar and go, ‘What do you think?’ We’ll have a couple of 20-year-old whiskeys and write some ideas on napkins. If those ideas stick, maybe we’ll make a movie.”
Whether or not the film will get a fifth sequel is yet to be determined, however given Lionsgate previously suggested to Stahelski that he make Chapter 4 other 5 back-to-back, it certainly seems like a possibility.
In the meantime, the John Wick franchise will continue with a prequel titled The Continental about Winston’s (Ian McShane) rise, and a spin-off called The Ballerina which stars Ana de Armas.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is out in theaters now.
John Wick’s war against the High Table has been wagered for four films now, but the action franchise doesn’t appear to be letting up anytime soon.
