Keanu Reeves' Confirmed John Wick 4 Sequel Is Not What I Was Expecting (2024)

Keanu Reeves will executive produce a High Table TV show set after the events of John Wick: Chapter 4, and this is not the John Wick 5 update I was expecting. While John Wick 5 is confirmed, the status of the project remains unclear. On November 2023, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Joe Drake confirmed that a fifth movie was being written before the strikes and that the studio would continue to focus on the theatrical side of the franchise in addition to TV spinoffs like The Continental: From The World Of John Wick.

Now, Deadline reports that Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves are teaming up again to produce John Wick: Under The High Table, a present-day series that will continue to expand the charming underworld of assassins introduced in the 2014 film. Under The High Table will be the second John Wick spinoff show, the first being 2023’s The Continental. While John Wick is dead as far as we know it, the franchise will soon return to the big screen with Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, which will be set before Chapter 4 and will see Reeves reprise his role as Wick.

Chad Stahelski & Keanu Reeves' John Wick Show Is A Sequel To Chapter 4

Under The High Tables Picks Up After John Wick’s Death

The status of John Wick 5 may be confusing, but John Wick: Chapter 4 is getting a sequel in the form of Under The High Table. The show, which is written by Robert Levine, will take place after the events of Chapter 4. The first official description of the project mentions new characters that will try to make a name for themselves now that Wick’s latest confrontation with the High Table has left this world in chaos. Deadline also reports that established characters from the movies will be involved in the story as they try to maintain their power and influence.

John Wick: Chapter 4’s ending felt very definitive and self-contained, which is why whether a fifth movie should happen has been such a divisive topic for over a year now. As much as I adore Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, I’m not sure if the character’s death should be retconned for a fifth movie. Regardless, the world of John Wick is fascinating and goes beyond Reeves’ character. Part of the reason why the John Wick movies have worked so well is that they keep adding new characters and pieces of lore that keep the franchise fresh. This includes the High Table.

Will Keanu Reeves Return As John Wick In Under The High Table?

Reeves Is Executive Producing The Show

So far, Keanu Reeves is only an executive producer in John Wick: Under The High Table. In other words, Wick is not confirmed to appear in the upcoming show. Still, there will surely be a lot of speculation regarding Wick’s role in the future of the franchise. As a prequel, The Continental did not have to worry about addressing John Wick’s death. Under The High Table, however, will be directly informed by how Chapter 4 ended. It is also unclear whether Reeves will return for John Wick 5, assuming it will be an actual sequel to Chapter 4.

Even if Keanu Reeves does not star in the High Table show, it is clear that John Wick’s death will be addressed in the series. John’s demise came after he challenged the High Table and won, meaning that his ultimate retirement changed the game forever. The deaths of The Marquis and Wick may have created a power vacuum that caused a lot of turmoil and set the events of the spinoff show in motion. I would love to see the impact of Wick’s actions from the perspective of other characters in that world.

The High Table Could Bridge The Gap Between Chapter 4 & John Wick 5

John Wick’s Story Is Continuing Regardless Of Wick’s Fate

If John Wick 5 moves forward, the High Table show can bridge the gap between Chapter 4 and the fifth movie. Likewise, if Reeves does return in the next film, it makes sense to have a different story set shortly after Chapter 4 in which the impact of Wick’s death can be explored. John Wick may be too big of a character to be left dead for too long, which does not mean that his ultimate confrontational against the High Table in Chapter 4 has to be pointless.

John Wick: Under The High Table is expected to have stronger connections to the movies compared to The Continental, namely because the upcoming show is a sequel rather than a prequel. Under The High Table could also set up some clues regarding how John Wick can return in Chapter 5. While I’m still curious to see what John Wick 5 will look like, the new series sounds like a promising addition to the world of John Wick.

John Wick: Chapter 4

4.0

R

Thriller

Crime

Action

Following the events of Chapter 3 - Parabellum, John Wick Chapter 4 will see the titular character battle against some of his most dangerous foes yet. With a bounty on his head that continues to skyrocket, John decides to take the fight to the High Table on a global scale and battles across areas like Osaka and Paris to wipe out some of the strongest players in the underworld.

Director

Chad Stahelski

Release Date

March 24, 2023

Studio(s)

Lionsgate

Writers

Shay Hatten , Michael Finch

Cast

Hiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier Anderson

Runtime

169 minutes

Franchise(s)

John Wick

prequel(s)

John Wick , John Wick: Chapter 2 , John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum