John Wick: Chapter 4 largely felt like it was a send-off for the assassin played by Keanu Reeves, namely because the movie’s final scenes confirmed that Wick had succumbed to mortal wounds. In the years since the movie’s release, theories have circulated surrounding a fifth film, and while we don’t yet know what the future is for the proper series, we know that spin-off titles are in the works. Take, for example, how Chapter 4 introduced us to Donnie Yen’s Caine, a fellow assassin carrying out his duties to the High Table to protect his daughter. With Caine paying off his debts to the organization, his adventures are set to continue in the upcoming spin-off Caine.
Yen is set to reprise his role in the spin-off, as is Rina Sawayama, who played Akira in Chapter 4. Newcomers to the franchise include Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery and How to Train Your Dragon star Mason Thames in undisclosed roles. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed today that the upcoming spin-off is set to add another veteran of tentpole franchises, as Bill Nighy has also joined the spin-off in an unspecified role. Nighy has a number of impressive credits in his career, ranging from Shaun of the Dead to Love Actually to Underworld to Pirates of the Caribbean. He also notably had a small but significant role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 as the Minister of Magic.
Caine marks the second feature-length spin-off from the proper John Wick series after last year’s Ballerina: From the World of John Wick. A key difference is that Ballerina focused on an all-new character, played by Ana de Armas. Reeves did, though, appear for key sequences, and the lore of the ballerinas being trained as assassins connects to established corners of John Wick lore. Additionally, we knew that Ballerina took place between the events of two mainline Wick films, while Caine will feature an established character and also extend the timeline of the franchise into new realms.
We don’t yet know if Reeves will make an appearance in Caine, but as it will focus on an already-compelling character, it would seem more likely that we would either get an Easter egg tease of Wick’s fate or he could be referenced in a post-credits scene. At this point, the closest we’ve come to getting any official updates on a fifth movie is Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson revealing to Business Insider earlier this year, “Chad [Stahelski] and Keanu have an idea that they think can be really exciting. There are a lot of steps, so I wouldn’t want to put a timeline on it. But in terms of finding a core idea, they seem to have landed on something that they are excited about, and now we’ll see.”
Whether it’s in Caine or a standalone adventure, we likely haven’t seen the last of Wick, but based on the growing cast of the Donnie Yen spin-off, the movie sounds thrilling regardless of Reeves showing up.
