Keanu Reeves explains the surprising ending of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’
In an industry that is overrun by tired and uninspired franchises, it’s easy to lose interest in the endless cycle of sequels. However, one franchise that has been able to maintain the engagement of its hyper-enthusiastic fanbase is the John Wick series. Featuring Keanu Reeves as the iconic titular character, the John Wick films have achieved both critical and commercial success and have managed to become a part of online meme culture.
The latest addition to the franchise is John Wick: Chapter 4, which provides a fascinating continuation to the bloody saga of the beloved ex-hitman who has embarked on a seemingly endless quest for revenge. While Chapter 4 has been described by many as the best addition to the series so far, many fans were confused by the shocking ending of the film, which shows Reeves apparently succumbing to a serious wound.
After the premiere of the film at the South By Southwest Film & TV Festival, Reeves explained: “We had the opportunity [to do another film] because of the audience [response to] Chapter Three, and we were like, ‘What was the ‘why?’ And when Chad and I were talking, the ‘why’ was death — and it was John Wick’s death. For him to get his peace, or freedom, in a way… that was the reason to make the movie. It can’t just be, ‘Let’s do another one.’ It was really about death or a way of dying. We were really inspired by the Hagakure.”
Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai is a highly influential book about the history of the samurai, containing Yamamoto Tsunetomo’s thoughts about the samurai code. Although it has often been called a “code of death”, Hagakure actually shows that the only way a warrior can live life to its fullest extent is by embracing the inevitability of human mortality.
While talking about the scenes, Reeves also claimed it was his favourite: “If I just looked at from [the perspective of] John — John Wick — maybe him at the end on the stairs. When he says, ‘Helen.’ That, for me, after like eight years of playing the role and after shooting the [massive fight on the other set of stairs], that part that was [a poignant link] to the past.”
Although Chapter 5 hasn’t been discussed yet, Reeves remains optimistic about a sequel. He said: “You have to see how the audience responds to what we did. The only reason we’ve had a chance to make these movies is that people have liked what we have done. So I think we have to wait and see how the audience responds to it.”
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