John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum director Chad Stahelski says the entire franchise almost ended on the sequel’s cliffhanger ending. Stahelski has helmed the entire franchise and will continue so with the upcoming installment, John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves will also return as the titular character, which will see him continue his fight against The High Table – the shadowy organization that controls the criminal underworld.
While speaking with Total Film (via CBR), Stahelski confirmed that the John Wick franchise has gone on longer than they had planned. According to the director, he and Reeves were content to let John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum‘s cliffhanger finale end the franchise. Despite the franchise’s success, they weren’t as keen to continue making sequels. Check out Stahelski’s comments on ending the John Wick franchise below:
“After number three, Keanu and I were both fairly done. We kind of wanted to just end on a cliffhanger.”
Will John Wick: Chapter 5 Happen?
The John Wick franchise is growing, as many spinoffs are now in development. The Continental, a series exploring the origins of the underworld hotel chain and Ian McShane’s Winston, is likely to debut later this year. Additionally, Ana de Armas will lead a female lead spinoff called Ballerina after her impressive cameo alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond in No Time to Die. Reeves will briefly feature in the spinoff film. So with John Wick: Chapter 4 due out next month, there is no shortage of content.
Given the franchise’s penchant for ending films on cliffhangers, with John Wick: Chapter 2 and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum both utilizing the conceit, John Wick: Chapter 4 could do the same. However, it is still uncertain since the fourth installment could finally bring a conclusion to Wick’s story. Still, John Wick: Chapter 5 was already announced since it was originally intended to film simultaneously with John Wick: Chapter 4. Despite that not happening, a fifth installment still seems likely with the franchise’s growing world and the perceived success of the upcoming sequel.
While the prospect of John Wick: Chapter 5 looks promising, Reeves has recently made comments that may question it. The actor stated, “You have to see how the audience responds to what we did,” leading to the assumption the fifth installment may not be guaranteed. However, if John Wick: Chapter 4 is successful, a fifth film seems like a foregone conclusion. Still, Reeves and Stahelski were content to end the franchise after John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, so if they return for a fifth film, they will likely push for it to be the final installment, letting the spinoffs explore the world they created. Hence, it won’t be on a cliffhanger when they decide to officially end John Wick when the time comes.
Source: Total Film (via CBR)
