The John Wick franchise since its inception in 2014 has brought gun-fu action to movie screens in an exceptional manner. Nearly ten years down the line, and three brilliant movies later, the franchise still waxed strong, and then came John Wick: Chapter 4. Blasting into cinemas earlier in the year, the sequel went on to gross over $400 million to help the franchise past the $1 billion mark. Despite the franchise's undeniable appeal, director Chad Stahelski reveals that the latest installment was always viewed as a sendoff to its lead character.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Stahelski revealed how he decided it was the right time and way to end the quest of the Baba Yaga. The director also reveals that it was a decision made in collaboration with star act, Keanu Reeves. "Keanu and I both felt like we didn't do our best. We didn't send John Wick off to our best, and we felt a little broken up about that. We felt like we could have done better," Stahelski said of the third movie. He continued, "We started thinking about, 'There's only one way; we go back and do a fourth one.' Because in film history lucky enough to get three good ones, you get four is almost unheard of no one's ever really done it."
So the pair sought to hatch a plan that would see the character exit as a tragic hero of sorts. "So, we're like, "Okay, the only way to do it is we want to say goodbye. What's the best way to say goodbye," Stahelski explains. "Well, we got to redeem him. We got to kind of make him a good guy. We got to have his friends. We got to tie up all...We knew the pieces in the cities we wanted to go to, but it didn't quite click." The director then goes on further to explain how they knew the ending was spot on.
"It wasn't until really about Christmas of that year where we took a break. We brought in a friend to help take one more pass at it, and it kind of clicked. It made me sad at the end, and we could hear the music and knew what we were gonna do, and that's when it kind of made sense. All this was our plan, but nothing really felt right 'til you read it, and you could see it. Me and Keanu both looked up and smiled. You could feel yourself getting choked up. We're like, "Yeah, we're gonna send this guy. And that's when it needs."
What's Next for the World of John Wick?
While the titular hero might have earned his freedom, it would seem that the John Wick world will continue to roll on with a new installment in early development. Beyond another sequel, the John Wick universe is set for further expansion with the introduction of the Ana de Armas-led spinoff, Ballerina set to release on June 7, 2024. A spinoff series, titled The Continental centered around a younger version of Wick's confidant, Winston Scott to be played by Colin Woodell is set to premiere on Peacock in September.
Watch our interview with Chad Stahelski for Chapter 4 below: