The following article contains major spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4.John Wick: Chapter 4 is the hitman’s most stunning and action-packed entry yet, though it may very well be the final one, especially after director Chad Stahelski has continued to double down on the film’s unexpected ending, one that only got the green light after numerous tests.
Since 2014, John Wick has defied death against all odds time after time. However, in Chapter 4, the Baba Yaga finally received the sendoff he deserved in a climactic duel opposite his good friend Caine (Donnie Yen), which makes for quite an emotional ending as the franchise enters a new era. As expected, Stahelski and the film’s writers, Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, didn’t have an easy time selling that idea due to John Wick's popularity and financial success only growing with each movie.
This is what Stahelski told Collider in a recent interview. "I don't think any exec or any producer in the world would smile when you say you're gonna kill off their successful franchise character," he said. Nevertheless, he pushed forward, going as far as shooting two different endings. By adding a few extra shots here and there, the filmmaker made an ending that would have confirmed John Wick survived and one where he didn't. However, “the test audience has definitely had a favorite of that, which is the ending that you guys saw,” meaning he got precisely what he wanted.
It must be noted that Stahelski didn’t dive into the specifics of how that alternate ending went down. John Wick: Chapter 4's ending is vague enough to leave room for John Wick to return and for his death to have been faked so he could escape the High Table's grasp once and for all. Judging from fan and critics’ impressions, the director sure made the right decision, as John dying words and the emotional moments that follow have left a mark.
John Wick 4 came with some emotional baggage, as the film opened mere days after Lance Reddick's passing. His character is set to play a part in The Continental's story, with the actor even shooting a cameo for the spinoff movie Ballerina. This latest John Wick movie has been such a hit that the idea of John Wick 5 was put back on the table, even if Keanu Reeves and Stahelski are happy with letting the Boogeyman lay to rest.
Regardless, the John Wick saga has created a rich world that’s bound to have more places and concepts to explore. So if the spinoffs do well, John Wick 5, with or without the Baba Yaga, is possible.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently available in theaters.
Source: Collider