On Friday evening, during Collider's "Directors on Directing" panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub was joined in Hall H by renowned filmmakers Tim Miller (Deadpool), Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo) and Chad Stahelski (John Wick: Chapter 4). Not only were the attendees given an exclusive first-look at a John Wick: Chapter 4 teaser, over a full minute long, and poster art, but John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves surprised the audience with a guest appearance.
During the interviews, Weintraub discussed the elements that go into directing and spoke with Miller, Stanton and Stahelski at length on their previous projects and those yet to come. One of those films being Stahelski's highly-anticipated fourth installment to the neo-noir John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4. While hosting the panel, Weintraub paused and said that there was a question from someone named J. Utah, a reference to one of Reeves' earlier films Point Break, to which Reeves from backstage promptly responded, "What? What's happening?"
To an eruption of applause the John Wick star strolled across stage and took a knee next to his director while the crowd lost their minds. Deadpool's director even threatened to cry - again. Once the convention-goers, and Miller, settled down Weintraub asked the star and director about the upcoming film and what it was like to film internationally. Unlike the first three films, John Wick 4 will take the fight overseas, boasting five different countries in Wick's warpath: America, Japan, Jordan, Berlin - sorry, Germany - and France. The actor bantered with the panel, but quickly addressed the legendary directors and Collider's Editor-in-Chief, saying:
"It's been really cool, actually. It was really fun to bring Wick international... all of you filmmakers, and Steve, for you, too. Communicating, you know, just storytelling... but also the ambition, and what's behind it, right? Even if it's an action movie, or entertainment, or animation. There's no even in that. You know, it's like big picture and humanity and all of your works of art - communicating that. And you help us talk about that, so thank you. Anyway, thanks for having me, thanks for letting me jump out here."
As if he hadn't thrilled the entirety of Hall H by joining them, Reeves humbly thanked everyone for letting him pop in, hopped up off the floor and jogged offstage. Not before flashing a peace sign to the fans who cheered as he left.
Reeves, who fans know from a range of Hollywood blockbusters, has portrayed the revered hitman Jonathan "John" Wick since 2014 when audiences were first introduced to Derek Kolstad's tragic antihero. Besides Wick, Reeves is known for his role as Neo in The Matrix franchise, Ted in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, The Devil's Advocate, Jack Traven in Speed, A Scanner Darkly and his upcoming film BRZRKR.
The sinister franchise follows John Wick, a lethal assassin widely known throughout the entire criminal underworld, who, after a long and bloody career, chooses love over his life of killing and retires. Following the death of his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan), Wick spends his retirement with his dog Daisy, the only connection the man has left to his wife. It's the murder of Wick's dog during a car theft that is the catalyst for the following three films.
Alongside Reeves, John Wick 4 will star Laurence Fishburne, Bill Skarsgård, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamimer Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, and Ian McShane.
The teaser revealed at SDCC was a full minute of complete and utter action, and over the hand-to-hand, hand-to-face, arrow-to-face combat someone insisted that, "No one, not even you, can kill everyone." Sounds like a challenge.
John Wick: Chapter 4 hits (a lot) theaters on March 24, 2023. You can see Reeves' surprise appearance and the teaser from Collider's panel at SDCC below: