Fans of Keanu Reeves aren’t seemingly best pleased with the update about the latest instalment of the iconic franchise
Keanu Reeves is considered one of the most adored Hollywood actors. The way his character John Wick coped in a state of grief against injustice in the titular franchise has certainly played a big part in Reeves’ popularity. It has also played a big part in establishing Chad Stahelski as a prominent director after his early stint as a stunt double and stunt coordinator in the industry.
Keanu Reeves in and as John Wick.
Ever since making his directorial debut with John Wick in 2014, Reeves and Stahelski have earned plenty of plaudits for consistently delivering non-stop heart-pounding action sequences, enhanced through skilled hand-to-hand combats rather than CGI-influenced alien powers. Accordingly, any update on the two joining hands together once again should ideally excite fans, but early reactions suggest John Wick fans aren’t too keen on a fifth installment.
Read more: “Only if it’s made by Trigger or Mappa”: Keanu Reeves’ John Wick Anime Gets One Demand from Fans to Bring Infamous Pencil Scene to Life
How Keanu Reeves Fans Are Reacting to John Wick 5 UpdateAdvertisement
Keanu Reeves started his John Wick journey early in 2014. His character, a retired hitman, decides to pick his guns again and return to his old ways after a group of Russian gangsters dare to kill a puppy gifted to him by his late wife.
Keanu Reeves in a still from the John Wick franchise.
The critical success of John Wick paved the way for three more installments, with the latest neo-noir action thriller, titled John Wick: Chapter 4 hitting the theaters early this year. The film which saw John uncover a path to defeating The High Table was a massive success, earning $440.1 million in worldwide collection.
Many franchises often fail to replicate the quality of the original title, but the Chad Stahelski directed projects have gone against the trend, getting more critical and financial success with each installment. Accordingly, not many are surprised by the update confirming John Wick 5 is happening.
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As per a report in ComicBook, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake confirmed that work on writing John Wick: Chapter 5 has resumed after the conclusion of the writers’ strike. However, some fans are apprehensive about the development, as they don’t believe the billion-dollar franchise can maintain its quality.
This is a bad idea
— 𝕆𝕨𝕖𝕟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 ȶɦɛ 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒘𝒌𝒔 (@Sexmal33) November 11, 2023
He died you can’t bring it back pic.twitter.com/2S0mmc3vCc
— ViolentFights (@ViolentFight) November 11, 2023
Even though i would love for more John Wick movies, i feel John Wick 4 was just too good and its really gonna be difficult to top that, Chad set the bar too high for himself
— Screen Wizard 🧙♂️ (@screenwizardz) November 12, 2023
There’s a John Wick 5 💀didn’t John Wick 4 literally just come out?
— Gopex (@ItzGopex) November 11, 2023
Hollywood can’t let a good thing end
— Daivik Goel (@DaivikGoel) November 12, 2023
It’s please let it be already!😂 they had a mini show as well guys 😭
— chuma🐰 (@BaldacciInc) November 12, 2023
It’ll be interesting to see how Stahelski will approach the movie, after having suggested Keanu Reeves’ title assassin is dead at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4.
Read more: “Pee in my bullet hole”: John Wick 4 Director Details a Bizarre Scene After Keanu Reeves’ Breathtaking Stairs Fight Scene
Why Keanu Reeves Wasn’t Initially Seen as an Ideal Fit for John Wick
We don’t know how Stahelski would convincingly bring back Reeves’ character from the dead, but we do know it’ll happen because it’s impossible to imagine the franchise without the fan-favorite actor. Interestingly, that was not the case when the story was initially envisioned.
Keanu Reeves in John Wick Chapter 4.
In the book They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action, franchise producer Basil Iwanyk revealed that the title character was a 75-year-old man in the original script. He says in the book (via Entertainment Weekly):
“One of my best friends is Charlie Ferraro at UTA, who sent me this script from Derek Kolstad called Scorn. The lead was a seventy-five-year-old man, twenty-five years after being retired. It was the fun of watching Clint Eastwood kick ass. I thought, Okay, there’s probably one or two names you could do this with: Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford.”
Reeves – who wasn’t enjoying a great run in the industry at the time – was approached by the producer for the role with a clear understanding that he wouldn’t be playing a 75-year-old. The actor liked what he read and brilliantly made the character – who was on a quest to reclaim his life – his own.
