Keanu Reeves weighs in on future as action icon John Wick
Keanu Reeves, 60, who has been portraying John Wick for a decade, admitted that he's unsure if he can return to the role due to the physical demands of the film series.
The first film in the series, "John Wick," was released in 2014 and quickly became a hit, earning $86 million on a budget of about $30 million. The subsequent parts continued the success: "John Wick 2" from 2017 grossed $171.5 million, and "John Wick 3" from 2019 made $327.3 million. The fourth installment was the most expensive and also the most profitable. While it’s clear the production team wants to keep it going, the question remains: Can Keanu handle it?
Will Keanu Reeves be done with John Wick for good?
During his recent appearance on "CBS This Morning" to promote the film "Sonic 3," Reeves was asked about the possibility of reprising his role as John Wick. The actor responded, "You can never say never, but my knees right now are saying, ‘You can’t do another John Wick'. So, my heart does, but I don’t know if my knees can do it."
The latest installment, "John Wick 4," premiered on March 24 last year and has so far earned $440 million. The film was more costly, with a budget of about $100 million. The film's finale left viewers uncertain about the fate of the main character, suggesting that fans might have to bid farewell to Wick for good.
Reeves shared insights into the challenges of filming, particularly highlighting the physical demands of bringing Chad Stahelski's vision to life. He noted that this instalment featured numerous action sequences, with over 100 days of filming, around 80 of which were dedicated to stunts and fight scenes. While acknowledging the task's difficulty, he described it as a significant challenge and a source of great enjoyment.
Although work on the fifth installment of the series has already been confirmed, with production set to begin next year, Reeves has expressed doubts about his participation. Director Chad Stahelski revealed in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter" that the upcoming film will start a new storyline, rather than directly continuing from the previous part.
Moreover, a new story in the "John Wick" universe has been announced for June 6, 2025—it's titled "Ballerina," starring Ana De Armas, who has appeared in previous films. This new production is a fresh installment in the dark world of assassins. This time, the main character will be Eve, a former ballerina trained as an assassin seeking revenge on those who took her family.
