Will There Be a John Wick 5? Director Chad Stahelski Has Answers

The latest installment of the John Wick franchise, John Wick: Chapter 4, is now available and it delivers an adrenaline-fueled experience that surpasses even prior impressive work by director Chad Stahelski, the stunt crew, and the rest of the creative team. 

Keanu Reeves’ iconic character returns for his most ambitious adventure yet, accompanied by new characters like Mr. Nobody and Caine, played by Donnie Yen. Despite the industry’s heavy reliance on sequels and established properties, it’s intriguing that there’s been no official word on a follow-up to John Wick: Chapter 4. 

Will There Be a John Wick 5? Director Chad Stahelski Has Answers
John Wick: Chapter 4

However, this decision wasn’t due to a lack of effort from the studio. In an interview with Screen Rant, Stahelski shared that he declined the opportunity to film John Wick: Chapter 4 and its sequel simultaneously.

God, to be honest with you, I don’t know. Not to cause any weird clickbait or anything like that, the studio first came to us and went, “Look, we would like to explore the option of doing 4 and 5 together.” And the daunting-ness of that at first is a little intimidating, [but] it’s also incredibly flattering. In an industry where everyone’s trying to get something made, and you’re trying to get your wacky ideas made and somebody to listen and give them a shot, to have people come to you and go, “Please make more of what you do?” I can’t thank Lionsgate enough for even presenting that opportunity.

I’ve been a part of projects that have done two films together at once and, [at least] for me, I don’t know how to do it. Creatively, I don’t know how to get my head around that. I think the greatest part is that, after each John Wick, I took two years off to go live and get better; to travel, to read more, and to get better. I don’t know how to do a movie back-to-back and get better for the second one. You’d see John Wick 4 and then John Wick 4B, right? Same camera, same colors, same action, same style of choreography, same storylines. I had no time to be influenced by life and bring life back in, so I just thought it was kind of a cheat.

Although the idea of a fifth John Wick movie may seem thrilling, it’s hard to dispute Stahelski’s logic. The director’s strategy of taking time between each film to “go live” has paid dividends with every new release, as each installment has outdone its predecessor in terms of action, stunts, and world-building. 

Stahelski’s approach of stepping away from the franchise after each successful film demonstrates a level of discipline and restraint that has ultimately proved advantageous for both the studio and the audience.

Will There Be a John Wick 5? Director Chad Stahelski Has Answers
John Wick

While shooting multiple films at once can be a wise and efficient decision for some franchises, the John Wick movies are primarily successful due to their exceptional stunt choreography and action sequences, rather than the continuity of their plots. 

Although John Wick: Chapter 4 sets the bar high, taking the time to carefully consider and develop new ideas could lead to even greater achievements. However, since the lead actor, who performs his own stunts, is approaching 60 years of age in John Wick: Chapter 4, it may be prudent for Stahelski to begin planning for future films sooner rather than later.

About John Wick : Chapter 4

John Wick 4 is an American neo-noir action thriller film and the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise. The franchise is created by Derek Kolstad and stars Keanu Reeves in the role of a retired legendary hitman John Wick.

John Wick must avoid run-ins with The High Table and survive long enough to complete his mission, along with the help of The Bowery King, who was left for dead by The High Table and now is helping John Wick take them down.

John Wick 4 released on March 24, 2023.

Epic Dope Staff

Epic Dope Staff

Our talented team of Freelance writers - Always on the lookout - pour their energies into a wide range of topics bringing to our audience what they crave - fun up-to-date news, reviews, fan theories and much much more.

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