For all the pulse-pounding and eye-stabbing action that permeate the John Wick movies, it's sometimes easy to forget their more reserved but equally riveting side. Each film in the series has had its share of breather moments, where the action goes on hold and a bit of civilized discussion briefly rules the day, and now it seems John Wick 4's chances of including such a scene have skyrocketed with the return of Lance Reddick.
Deadline reports that Reddick, who plays the unflappable concierge known as Charon in New York's neutral ground for assassins, has just inked a deal with Lionsgate to reprise his role once again in the upcoming entry of the addictively violent series. As part of a handful of actors who have starred alongside Keanu Reeves since the first John Wick, it seems almost poetic that Reddick would inevitably continue his run. He'll be joining fellow series regulars Ian McShane (Deadwood) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), while plenty of newcomers like Rogue One's Donnie Yen join the fun this time around.
"Lance has been part of the franchise since the very beginning, and has had an integral role in shaping the world of John Wick," John Wick 4 director Chad Stahelski said of Reddick's return. "I couldn't be more excited to be working with him again." Stahelski himself has been part of the series since the start as well, being a stuntman-turned-director whose unique perspective gave the franchise its satisfying action-packed style. So it's appropriate that it all seems to be maintaining that small but impactful core team.
The John Wick series sees Reeves as the titular character just trying to live a normal life after retiring from his past occupation as a professional contract killer, only to slowly discover that one can never truly leave that world. From a simple start of just getting payback after a home invasion, things escalated over the John Wick franchise to John himself becoming a target of the entire criminal underworld, because there's no kill like overkill. Reddick's Charon has served for a long time as concierge at the Continental, New York's safe haven for those in the business, but also taken time to watch John's back (and his dog) on occasion.
Reddick has a long history of excellent subtle performances among more high-energy stories in series like The Wire and Fringe, making him already an ideal candidate for such a role even before he began his run in the John Wick films. He even dabbled in video games with his role as Sylens in Horizon: Zero Dawn and its upcoming sequel Horizon: Forbidden West, demonstrating an impressive range for someone who has one of the most recognizable voices in Hollywood.
While John Wick 4 is currently in production, there's still been no word concerning its plot. But given how its predecessor ended, with John escaping death once again and ending the film on the run (what a novel idea), fans can be sure to expect plenty of thrills and action when everybody's favorite dog-loving killer returns to the big screen.
John Wick 4 is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 27, 2022.
Source: Deadline