Credit: LionsgateEveryone wants more of Keanu Reeves as John Wick, and we certainly do not blame anyone. The man has made that role his own, which has been more successful than his time as Neo in The Matrix franchise. Though Reeves and John Wick director Chad Stahelski stated they are putting a “pause” on the character, Reeves will return as the world’s most dangerous assassin next year.
Related: ‘John Wick’ Spinoff Sets Release Window, Keanu Reeves Returning
The John Wick franchise is set to spawn two spinoff properties, with a release in 2024. The first is Ballerina, which sees Ana de Armas in the lead role as a ballerina under the tutelage of The Director. The Director was revealed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, portrayed by the excellent Angelic Houston.
What we know of the ballerinas is they are a sect of highly trained assassins who pose as ballerinas in a stage show that is put together by Houston’s character. Armas’s character is said to be an assassin on the hunt for those responsible for killing her family. Enter John Wick (Keanu Reeves). Wick is said to have an essential part in the spinoff, which we can assume means he will train her to be an unyielding assassin.
Ballerina has now set a release date of June 7, 2024, meaning we will see Keanu Reeves return to his best character in just over a year. The timeline for the spinoff takes place between the events of John Wick 3 and 4. Reeves and Armas will be joined by series regulars Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick. The spinoff movie will serve as one of the final performances from Reddick, who sadly passed away last month.
Also, another spinoff series is being put together for Paramount called The Continental. This series will go into more depth about the secretive assassin hubs designed as hotels littered worldwide. The story is set to showcase how Winston Scott became the proprietor of the New York Continental in the 1970s. However, it will be a younger Winston in place of Ian McShane.
The word is that The Continental will also premiere on Peacock in late 2024, likely setting the stage for a proposed John Wick 5 in 2025 or 2026. This is just speculation, but we hope it’s true.
With two spinoffs taking place in the world of John Wick, we would imagine that Keanu Reeves will be a bit forced to return to the franchise sooner than he wants to. Stahelski did say they would have to wait and see how the new movie did before deciding if the franchise would be fast-tracked back into a sequel and how that could be done.
Related: Keanu Reeves Is Done With ‘John Wick’
John Wick 4 is currently sitting at $245 million at the worldwide box office, and we imagine it will go well beyond that. Ballerina coming out next year could also indicate that the world is not ready to say goodbye to Keanu Reeves as the most dangerous assassin.
Are you excited to see Keanu Reeves return as John Wick in Ballerina? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!