John Wick director says Chapter 5 will make a massive change

John Wick 5 was never meant to go ahead, but Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin will be returning for a fifth outing thanks to a big change, according to director Chad Stahelski.

Since the first John Wick in 2014, the franchise has exploded into one of modern action cinema’s biggest surprise success stories, blending stylized violence with deep character development. 

By the end of John Wick 4, which landed in cinemas 10 years after its debut, Baba Yaga earns his freedom from the High Table, but it comes at a cost – John seemingly succumbs to his injuries on the steps of Sacré Coeur (although we never actually see him die). 

The original plan was to end John’s journey there. However, the film’s massive box office success and the franchise’s growing universe – including spinoffs like Ballerina and The Continental – reignited interest in continuing the story.

John Wick 5 will be “really different” 

Lionsgate

After months of speculation, John Wick 5 was officially confirmed at Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation this year, with Reeves and Stahelski returning. And now, in a new interview, the director has explained that the fifth installment will be “really different.”

Speaking with Empire, Stahelski said, “The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. 

“It’s not a continuation, with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, ‘Holy f**k… I gotta see that.’” 

And that’s not all. Stahelski also said the upcoming spinoffs will lay the foundation for the story of John Wick 5. As well as Ballerina – set after John Wick 3 and due to include Reeves’ assassin – there’s the Caine film, an animated prequel movie, and the Under The High Table TV show.

“The John Wick TV show and the animation are big priorities,” Stahelski added. “Our idea is to try some things and explore some threads and use those two properties to catapult us forward into the ideas for John Wick 5.” 

For more on this growing universe, check out our ranking of the John Wick movies and how to watch the Wick is Pain documentary. You can also take a look at the new movies dropping in cinemas this month.