John Wick is finally ready for action once again, and a new trailer for his fourth outing has plenty of proof to that end. The upcoming film has the daunting task of raising the stakes after its 3 predecessors have already hoisted them into the stratosphere. But based on this preview, it may just be up to the challenge.
The franchise's next entry, simply billed as John Wick in the trailer itself, promises a whole new set of dangers for Keanu Reeves' titular former assassin. After making himself a target for virtually everyone in the criminal underworld, John has a globetrotting journey of action and survival ahead of him. But that doesn't mean he's alone. He's got some old friends showing up. Granted, at least one of them does admittedly want to kill him, apparently.
The trailer shows John training against a rope-wrapped pole as former friends and allies flash by on the screen. "The Table will never stop," a voice says, referring to the council of crime lords known as The High Table, who rules over the underworld. Previous films saw John doing everything in his power to leave his life as an assassin behind. But he quickly learned that life is not so easily abandoned, as things continued to escalate until he had become an enemy of The High Table itself.
Now, with precious few allies to depend on, it looks as though John is ready to strike back with the ferocity of a cornered lion. But he won't be alone, as is shown when Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King appears with a fresh suit and asks "Are you ready, John?" Clearly, he won't be taking things lying down, even after the severe beatdowns he's endured over the last 3 films. Unfortunately, while director Chad Stahelski teased an emotional conclusion in John Wick: Chapter 4, it looks like John has still got some pain in his future.
The trailer notably features the first look at Donnie Yen's new character, who was apparently John's old friend. However, that friendship may not have ended well, as John and Yen's currently unknown character are seen battling it out with swords and guns while Yen sports some snazzy sunglasses. Later, however, Yen is seen fighting someone else, so perhaps he switches sides at some point in the movie.
Whatever the case, John Wick: Chapter 4 is sure to be more of the intense and gritty action that fans have come to expect from the series. Will there be a compelling story? Probably. Will it matter more than watching John painfully end many dudes? Probably not.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will release in theaters on March 24th, 2023.