Keanu Reeves Removed Half His Dialogue In 'John Wick 4'

Let’s face it; we will not see the John Wick movies simply because we think they will be Shakespearean efforts, though they have turned into that. We often want to see Keanu Reeves shooting guns and taking down those who stand in his character’s way of becoming “free.” John Wick 4 contains a ton of action that has catapulted the movie into the best of the franchise. However, when returning as the world’s most dangerous assassin, Reeves had a rather odd request.

Related: ‘John Wick’ Spinoff Sets Release Window, Keanu Reeves Returning

There has been plenty of promotion surrounding the new movie, which has led to both Reeves and director Chad Stahleski being asked numerous times if the John Wick franchise is indeed ending. Though both have stated they wish to move on from the character, we know that Reeves will return at least one final time for the spinoff—Ballerina.

Despite his role reprisal for the spinoff, Keanu Reeves has been adamant about moving on from the character, despite fans begging for the franchise to keep going. This new revelation about his dialogue might also indicate that Wick was on his way out.

Keanu Reeves Removes His Lines

Again, most people aren’t rushing to the theaters to hear Keanu Reeves give a monologue meant to stir the crowd. We mainly want to see what kind of new ways John Wick will fight his way out of hordes of enemies. This fact is something that Reeves might have clued in on as well, as he reportedly cut out half of his dialogue from the initial script.

According to Stahelski, “Mr. Reeves stripped out roughly half the dialogue written for his character in the initial script.”

The Wall Street Journal did some math to determine how many words the man speaks in the movie, and in the nearly three-hour film, Reeves says a whopping 380 words. They even determined that 10% of his dialogue is shown in the trailer.

While this might seem like an odd request, we understand entirely why John Wick 4 contained a far less chatty Keanu Reeves.

Tick, Tock, Mr. Wick

Those who have not seen John Wick 4 might want to look away, as the rest of this article will contain spoilers. 

Welcome back for those who have seen the newest installment or simply want to know why Keanu Reeves removed most of his dialogue. The general idea behind John Wick not speaking as much is cause the man is all about action. That is certainly not an unknown fact of this franchise, but the new film showcases more that John wants to end his long-standing goal: be free from the High Table.

Though the movie picks up directly after John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2018), John Wick finds himself in a precarious position to protect those around him from dying because of his actions. He, unfortunately, fails, as Charon (Lance Reddick) is the first to be killed by The Marquis (Bill Skarsgard).

This leads the man to find anyone and everyone who stands in his way to be truly free. This results in John Wick leaping into action more than in the previous movies. He has no time for talking, only acting. There is also the ticking clock to think about, which sees Wick having to fight the world to make his dueling appointment with The Marquis, which will lead to his freedom.

There is a ton more urgency in John Wick 4, which could be why Keanu Reeves didn’t want to waste time by…talking. Wick is also an interesting character that, despite his life being dissected in these movies, he is still somewhat mysterious. Talking is generally not his forte.

What’s Next For Keanu Reeves?

Related: Keanu Reeves Is Done With ‘John Wick’

Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski did indicate they wanted to put the John Wick character to rest, but the box office numbers might force the man back into the world of assassins. Though he is set to appear in Ballerina, the timeline of that spinoff takes place between John Wick 3 and 4.

It might take some time to happen, but we would assume that John Wick 5 could happen, despite the apparent nature of the ending of the most recent movie. We will spare those details, even with the spoiler warning above.

Do you think Keanu Reeves will return to John Wick? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!