TheJohn Wickmovies haven’t shown much of the title character’s life as a paid assassin, but that’s set to change with a coming release. Keanu Reeves officially hastwo newJohn Wickmovieson the way, and that’s not even including the soon-to-comeBallerinaspinoff. Naturally, we can expect at least more of the high-octane and outlandishly inventive action that’s been responsible for some ofJohn Wick’s best stunts. However, it’s also exciting to get to explore the world a bit more and learn more about the story of this man known as the Baba Yaga.
Not all movies in the franchise have done this equally well. It’s fairly intuitive whatJohn Wick’s High Tableis meant to be, and one assumes that at least the characters know how many of those assassin coins translate into a $14 million bounty. Butevery single movie has introduced new aspects of John’s world that could merit more exploration, and the continuation of the franchise promises to finally deliver on that. Before we get there, however, we have to dive into one aspect of the films that curiously hasn’t been shown more often.
John Wick’s Prequel Will Fully Show Us The Real John Wick
We’ll Finally See The Boogeyman At Work
As fun as it might be to watch John run around slaughtering people with pencils and horse legs, we’ve never really seen the Boogeyman of legend. In most movies,John Wick only fights for either survival or revenge. His life as a paid assassin remains largely unseen. He’s forced to take a hit inJohn Wick: Chapter 2, but he infiltrates Gianna’s compound without resistance and more or less just watches her die before putting in the final bullet.Whatever skills earned John Wick the name of “Boogeyman”have yet to be fully seen.
How Old John Wick Is In Every Movie
John Wick may fight like a younger man, but a producer revealed his real age, making him older than you might expect.
Thanks to details on theupcoming animatedJohn Wickprequel, we know the story will take place long before John Wick’s dog died and instead focus on the “Impossible Task” that gave him the freedom to leave his old life behind and start anew with Helen. This means thatthe prequel will show John Wick at the height of his assassin careerwhen he was capable of doing things no other person could. And because animation lacks the limitations of live-action film, the prequel can show this side to its fullest.
How John Wick’s Prequel Connects To John Wick 2
Santino Basically Has To Be A Character
The only reason John held to Santino’s marker inJohn Wick: Chapter 2is because Santino helped John complete the Impossible Task that bought his freedom. Since theJohn Wickanimated prequel focuses on this specific job,there’s basically no way the prequel can tell John’s story without explaining Santino’s role in it. The first sequel never really made it clear how Santino helped John, but the sheer amount of help he relies on in each movie suggests that Santino’s role was likely vital to John’s success.
Shannon Tindle, who recently directedUltraman: Rising, will direct theJohn Wickanime movie.
John Wickfranchise director Chad Stahelskihas said before that they wanted to build out an entire fantasy world once they started really acknowledging their full franchise potential, andelaborating on Santino’s role in John’s Impossible Task could actually lead to further world-building. From what we’ve seen of the High Table thus far, they only seem to get their hands dirty when necessary or when motivated by vengeance. The rest of the time, they hire muscle to be their wards. If Santino helped John by calling on outside help, that could introduce a new hiring agency to John’s world.
The Real John Wick Will Also Appear In Ballerina
And Previous Movies Might’ve Given Away A Plot Point
Outside of the animated prequel, the next exciting chance to see the legendary Boogeyman in action will be the upcoming spinoffFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerina. Set betweenParabellumandJohn Wick: Chapter 4, the film will include a sequence in whichJohn Wick is apparently sent to exterminate the titular character, Eve. Granted, since Keanu’s character is ultimately the primary selling point of the franchise, it seems likely that he’ll abandon his assignment at some point and wind up briefly joining forces with her.
In addition toBallerina,John Wick 5, and the anime prequel, a Caine spinoff is also in development.
However, there’s another interesting way forBallerinato explore the nature ofJohn Wick’s Baba Yaga persona. In the second film, he’s twice established as having stabbed his prey in vital body parts but giving them the chance to live if they didn’t pull out the blade prematurely. Watching that play out more fully onscreen in the newJohn Wickspinoff and seeing how Eve survives afterward could lead to an interesting development for both characters. Either way, it’s endlessly exciting to see how this growing franchise might continue giving us new insights into this bizarre world of assassin-centric intrigue.
John Wick
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.
