The John Wick movies certainly know how to coax an emotional response from audiences in between brutal headshot marathons. Of course, it can be easily argued that the action is what brings in the viewers, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's always been a deeper element that permeates it all, with plenty of tragic stories and characters appearing throughout.
Now, it looks like the upcoming 4th installment in the John Wick series will continue that trend of pleasantly complementary depth, and director Chad Stahelski is just as excited as the fans. While the focus tends to be on Keanu Reeves' satisfyingly intense one-man war through the criminal underworld, it's all made possible due to a number of plot threads building up as the stakes continue to escalate. According to Stahelski, fans who appreciate those bits of the John Wick films may find some much-awaited closure this time around.
In a recent interview with Collider, Stahelski spoke about the story and the ever-present action that fans can expect when the already-delayed John Wick: Chapter 4 arrives. After mentioning that the title still hasn't been completely nailed down just yet, he talked about how Chapter 4 will fit into the narrative, as well as where it will take things from here. "I think Chapter 4 is a good continuation of all three previous films, and it's got a bit of a conclusion to it, which is great," Stahelski said. "We introduce a ton of new characters that have a lot to say about John Wick from his past and from, obviously, present. I think it's brotherhood, it's hope. It's what the life would really be like as a bit of an existential crisis with John, and I think that's the fun part of the movie."
Some fans might be a bit confused by the mention of a "conclusion," particularly given how John Wick 4 and 5 are basically filming back to back. So Reeves' titular former assassin probably isn't going anywhere this time around. But Stahelski was actually referring to what appear to be some ongoing side stories, adding, "there's a good conclusion to an emotional thread that we've already had." That sounds like good news for fans invested in the more character-driven aspects of John Wick. But what sorts of emotions does he mean? Will it have something to do with other characters like Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King or Halle Berry's Sofia? Or maybe his new dog will wreck some baddie's entire day.
But it's not all about what came before. John Wick 4 will apparently also add some new bits to the series, particularly in the stunt department. "Keanu's got some new skill sets, which is good. He's got some new props, which are great. We were fortunate enough to land some very interesting stunt teams from all over the world," Stahelski fondly said of the upcoming film. "When you get all these different experts and different martial arts, it forces us to adapt the choreography to show different things. It's fun."
Between the promise of an emotional climax and the possibility of exciting new forms of stunt work, it seems pretty clear that John Wick 4 will be a spectacle for the eyes and the feelings. While there's still some time to wait before it comes out, maybe fans can play a little game where they see if any more John Wick 4 previews drop before the movie finally gets an official title.
John Wick 4 (working title) will release theatrically on March 24th, 2023.
Source: Collider