The dramatic climax to John Wick: Chapter 4 saw Keanu Reeves' assassin one-up Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) in a deadly final duel. In a movie with yet another high death count, Wick's ingenious trick - not firing his weapon in the stand-off, so his opponent would move closer, guard fully down - proved to be his last ever kill.
Moments later, John Wick passes away, and we cut back to New York where Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are looking at his gravestone, with the Continental's owner whispering "Farewell, my son" as the movie comes to an end. As McShane previously explained to Zavvi, the dynamic of their surrogate-father-son relationship is designed to feel ambiguous, so whether or not this is a twist about them being relatives remains up for debate.
It's a very sudden death, and seemingly the dramatic end to a cinematic saga that has graced our screens for nearly a decade. Yes, a fifth film has been greenlit, but Stahelski has always maintained that it would be down to the studio whether or not that gets made.
This all begs the question: is this really the end of John Wick?
The Sudden Death (?) of John Wick
In his recent interview with Zavvi, director Chad Stahelski said that this was going to be the last movie in the main series, and that it was designed to "tie (the previous) three movies together".
However, he was quick to point out that Wick will be back on our screens very soon, as filming on the franchise spin-off Ballerina took place last November, with Reeves playing a supporting role. That film takes place in-between the third and fourth entries, which means whilst there might not be any Wick going forward, the Fast & Furious-style chronology means that deceased characters can easily reappear.
Stahelski explained: “(Ballerina director) Len Wiseman joined us while we were in post-production, and we said to him what we will say to any director who is making one of these "satellite projects" - you have the blessing of me and Keanu, and you've seen what we've done. Now it's time to go do your own thing.
"I think that’s the best way this world can keep on growing. It's incredibly flattering when other filmmakers want to make something based on your film, so give them that blessing, tell them to go make it their own, and sit back and see what happens.
"I know Ian McShane has said that these films could continue for 10 more years - if that's what the audience wants, then we'll see..."
However, the question still lingers: just how dead is John Wick?
The death is so sudden, immediately cutting to the gravestone, that we can't rule out the likelihood of Wick having gone back underground, the only way he can truly escape from the hitman life. It makes sense that Winston would help him achieve that goal, helping put on the front that he's finally passed away.
Things may be silent on the Wick front for now, but the post-credits scene teases that a newly introduced character may be about to embark on a revenge mission of her own.
The Return of Akira?
Rina Sawayama makes one hell of an impression in her movie debut, with the popstar proving to be a powerful fighter, taking down several men in one of the film's most exciting set pieces.
Things end tragically for her, as her father (Tokyo Continental manager Shimazu, played by Hiroyuki Sanada) is killed by Donnie Yen's blind swordsman Caine, in response to the Continental harbouring the ex-communicated Wick. The last time we see Sawayama's Akira, she's badly wounded, telling Wick on the subway that he has to get vengeance - or she will.
We never see her again in the film, but anybody who sticks around for the post credits sequence will be treated by Akira's return, which seems to take place several weeks, if not months or years, after the narrative of this movie ends, seemingly cured entirely from the devastating injuries she suffers here.
In a busy public square, we see Caine strolling along, with Akira spotting him and moving in, pulling out a knife - before we cut to black just as she's about to make her attack.
Sawayama is up for returning to the franchise, telling Zavvi: "There's an entire backstory to her that's not explained. I feel like there's a chunk of time missing between when you last see her and when you when you first see her, and I'd love to explore her motivations leading up to then.
“I want to explore her history and how she ended up at the Continental – does she enjoy working there, or is it just family obligation?
“I didn’t realise I’d be given so much freedom to create this character, but the challenge is trying to understand her from my own experience, and this isn’t a character you can just melt into, so I had to bring in my own motivations. That’s why I tried to give her a rebellious streak and leave it for the audience to decide whether or not she enjoys this life”.
We hope to find out more about Akira in a future film, a spin-off that will likely be determined by the success of the Ana de Armas vehicle Ballerina - if that proves audiences care about the revenge missions of supporting characters, then an Akira solo film might enter development.
We can only hope, as Rina definitely slays here.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is in UK cinemas now.
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