The cinematic journey of John Wick is only two years away from being a decade long, and it doesn't seem like this roller coaster of an action franchise will be ending any time soon. The long-running franchise has been rightly heralded by fans and critics alike as the best action film series going today, with its impeccable fight choreography and ever-expanded lore and universe being second to none for the genre. That universe seems to keep getting bigger, with the upcoming Ana de Armas-starring spin-off film Ballerina in early development as well as The Continental prequel show set to hit Starz later this year. Those projects are no doubt exciting for fans, but thanks to a surprise appearance from Keanu Reeves at Collider's own "Directors on Directing" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, we finally got our very first look at John Wick: Chapter 4. The quick teaser provides a quick glimpse into the flashy violence we've all come to expect from the John Wick films, but more importantly, it gives us a really good look at both new faces and returning favorites. Since then, we've had new casting announcements, trailers, and more, all of which you can read about in this article. But for those of you who would like to take a look at the cast and characters of this exciting new film, we've put together a handy guide.

Regardless of whether these characters are going to help John get his revenge or stand in his way, here are the people you can expect to see in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Editor's Note: This article was last updated on March 23.

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Keanu Reeves as John Wick

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) standing in a crowd in 'John Wick' (2014)
Image via Lionsgate

Unsurprisingly, the face and namesake of the series will be present in the fourth installment, with The Matrix's own Keanu Reeves portraying him once more. It's hard to imagine that John Wick's path of bloodlust all began because of a dog. At one point in time, Wick was the best and most feared assassin in the world, and he left all of that behind to be with the woman he loved. After losing the said woman he loved to illness, a posthumous gift from her of a puppy gave John a second chance of living a peaceful life. That too was taken from him when an arrogant son of a crime boss kills the puppy, once again sending Wick into the complex criminal underworld.

Wick succeeded in enacting vengeance on those responsible for killing his dog and even found a new canine companion in the process. Unfortunately for him, news of Wick's return traveled fast, reaching a former colleague named Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio). D'Antonio became a constant thorn in John's side, forcing John to do his bidding and punishing him when he wouldn't. John eventually killed D'Antonio, but did so on sacred Continental ground, which is a major transgression in the criminal underworld.

This makes John a target of the High Table, the shadowy big bads of the film, and they send a horde of assassins after the revenge-seeking hitman. John is given an opportunity to escape the table's wrath and go back to a peaceful life, but only at the cost of executing his closest ally, Winston. John refuses, leading to more bloodshed before Winston himself shoots John off of the roof of the Continental hotel. Finally, we last left John being found by the Bowery King, who takes in the wounded assassin as he prepares for his next quest for vengeance.

Ian McShane as Winston

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Image via Lionsgate

Though most of the people in the John Wick universe are trying to kill John, he does have a few allies, and none stand out more than Winston played by Deadwood's Ian McShane.

Winston is the manager of the Continental Hotel in New York City, one of many safe havens for those who take part in the hidden world of assassination and mercenary work. The Continental is strictly supposed to be neutral ground where no violence or murder of any kind is to take place, but that doesn't stop Winston from showing favoritism to his close friend, John. He, along with his loyal concierge Charon, do their best to assist John in his endeavors, ranging from buying him time after the murder of D'Antonio to taking a more active role when the High Table lays siege onto the New York Continental itself. Winston shooting John at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum was a shock, but it was most likely a last-ditch effort to save his friend and give him one more chance to strike back.

Overall Winston's past is a mystery, but that mystery will have some light shed upon it in The Continental series when it premieres.

Laurence Fishburne as The Bowery King

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Image via Lionsgate

In John Wick: Chapter 2, Keanu Reeves was joined by fellow Matrix alumni Laurence Fishburne, who is the leader of the secret society of homeless mercs in the underworld.

Fishburne's character may not be the wise benevolent mentor that he is in The Matrix, but he still reluctantly helps John when he needs it. He's nowhere near as helpful as Winston is and almost always seems to want something else in return, but even in giving John a gun with seven bullets, he probably knows that that'll be enough. Still, even this minor assistance doesn't escape the High Table's attention and the Bowery King is maimed by their cronies. Now that he has something personal in the game, the King lets in John with open arms, eager to get some vengeance on the people who ruined that beautiful face of his.

Lance Reddick as Charon

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Image via Lionsgate

The John Wick world and the entertainment industry in general lost one of its shiniest stars with the unexpected passing of Bosch star Lance Reddick, who has become something of a fan-favorite character in the John Wick franchise. It's quite easy to see why, as Charon is quite possibly the most polite and professional individual in film history, which makes sense given that his job is being a concierge to murderers and criminals. He's always quick to refer John to any service he needs access to and assist him with any requests he may have. Behind that polite exterior is also another genuine friend to John, which is especially apparent since he is fiercely loyal to his employer, Winston. Charon even gets his own chance to get in the spotlight a little bit when he picks up a gun and fights alongside John during the High Table's siege on the Continental, showing he's more than capable of holding his own.

Related:'John Wick 4' Trailer Throws Keanu Reeves Back Into the Action

Donnie Yen as Caine

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In possibly one of the best casting decisions to be made in the franchise to date, legendary martial artist and Ip Man star Donnie Yen will be lending his incomparable fighting talents to John Wick: Chapter 4. Caine appears to be joining the henchman ranks of the series, following Cassian (Common) from Chapter 2 and Zero (Mark Dacascos) from Chapter 3. This all seems apparent from the clashes we see in the trailer between him and John, as well as another new character, Shimazu. Caine is a blind assassin, seen in the trailer wearing sunglasses indoors (and at night) and using a walking stick that transforms into a sword. Interestingly enough, Yen has experience playing blind badasses, as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but a blind assassin sounds like something that fits perfectly into the world of John Wick.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu

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Another legendary actor in Asian cinema, Hiroyuki Sanada will be reunited with Keanu Reeves after their last work together in 47 Ronin. Shimazu is an old friend of Wick's, as he can be seen facing off against Caine in the trailer. He also gives a narration where he can be seen trying to reason with John, to convince him that this quest for vengeance and bloodlust is only going to end in more pain and torment. Perhaps Shimazu is right and John should find a quiet and desolate part of the world and finally give himself some time to grieve, but even if John doesn't heed his apparent ally's warnings, hopefully, Shimazu will still remain on the side of our hero.

Bill Skarsgård as The Marquis de Gramont

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Maybe it's because he's so used to playing villainous characters in It and Eternals, but Bill Skarsgård will once again be playing an antagonist in Chapter 4. He will be playing The Marquis de Gramont, a fearsome member of the High Table who has been given the power to kill John Wick at virtually any cost.

The trailer has a sequence of Marquis and Wick sitting across from each other at a table, with the aforementioned Caine sitting right by his side. Main villains have always kind of been the one weak point of the series, with many of them being fairly bland and one-dimensional. Thankfully, Skarsgård really feels like an answer to that issue, playing a weasley and deceitful villain that is easily the deadliest threat that Wick has faced yet. Director Chad Stahelski had this to say about the character in an interview with Collider:

"His character's name, his broad name, is The Marquis. The Marquis is, without giving too much away, I wouldn't really say the antagonist, but he's the one in charge of cleaning up all the messes from the first three movies."

Shamier Anderson as Tracker

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Tracker is the first character thus far to truly be a mystery in terms of the film's marketing, apart from that he must be a hunter of some kind given that obvious name. Played by Race's Shamier Anderson, Tracker utilizes a variety of weaponry, including a fancy pistol, a lever action rifle, and a trusty and loyal attack dog. A tense confrontation with Marquis that seemingly leaves Tracker with a knife in his hand suggests he's no friend to the villain, but we'll just have to see what kind of part the character will play in John's story. Here's what Stahelski said about the character in the interview mentioned above:

"Shamier's a whole different kind of character. His character's name's the Tracker. Again, name says it all. Everyone's got a purpose. Everybody's got a reason. Everybody's got a motivation. His is, at least initially, he's self-motivated. He becomes a character that's in the gray area between the two worlds, the Wick world, and the real world."

Rina Sawayama as Akira

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Accomplished Japanese musician Rina Sawayama will be making her feature film acting debut in John Wick: Chapter 4. Akira is the concierge of the Japanese continental, though given John Wick is still on the run from the fearsome High Table, she doesn't seem as keen to assist Mr. Wick as Charon was.

Clancy Brown as The Harbinger

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Well-known character actor Clancy Brown, whose number of prolific roles range from The Shawshank Redemption to SpongeBob Squarepants, will be playing a character called The Harbinger. Not a lot is known about the character but Stahelski told Collider that he is "everything that word stands for." Stahelski also described him as the High Table officiate in the room, adding, "He gives the whole sentiment, and he's like our high-table referee."

The Harbinger, much like John since Chapter 3, is missing a finger. This means that whoever this character really is, he may have fallen out of favor with the High Table in the past and had to perform a blood sacrifice by severing his finger to pay his penance and prove his loyalty to the table. We already saw that the act isn't binding as John still stood against the Table in the end.

Natalia Tena as Katia

Natalia Tena as Katia in a church in John Wick Chapter 4
Image via Lionsgate

Harry Potter franchise actor Natalia Tena plays Katia, a character who has a deep familial connection to John that has been tarnished over his time in exile. We won't spoil too much on who exactly Katia is in relation to John, but she still has made a name for herself in Berlin as the leader of the Russian Mob. Clearly, Katia and her crime family are no friends to the High Table, but she's not very willing to become an explicit enemy just to save Wick either.

Scott Adkins as Killa

Scott Adkins as Killa in John Wick Chapter 4
Image via Lionsgate

Another reunion in the film is between Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins, the latter of which played the villain in Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019). Killa is the big rival for Katia and the Russian mob. A disgusting, obnoxious wretch who will do literally anything to increase his wealth and power. Despite his larger size, Killa is more than capable of holding his own in combat, but even that may not be enough to protect him from the enemies he's made.