Chad Stahelski on John Wick 5: “It’d have to be a completely different storyline”

Last Updated on October 24, 2024

John Wick: Chapter 4 may have felt like a natural endpoint for the franchise (at least when it came to its title character), but Lionsgate has already confirmed plans for John Wick: Chapter 5. However, the big question is, will it actually happen? Director Chad Stahelski isn’t ruling anything out, but if John Wick: Chapter 5 does happen, he knows he won’t be able to top the fourth movie.

“The honest truth is you don’t. You simply don’t. There’s no topping what we did. That’s the end. That’s the deal. That’s what we found closure for. Look, sometimes, we’ll keep things in development. My creative team and I can’t stop thinking about Wick,” Stahelski told THR. “Sometimes, we’ll use development as an exercise, but is there an opportunity to do [John Wick 5]? Of course, there is, whether it’s for money or for creativity. Of course, there’s an opportunity, but it keeps us thinking. Jesus, in the last three years, I’ve already had three or four versions of a John Wick 5. They were different ways to crack the story, but it’s almost a mental exercise for me.“

Stahelski added that they have “some really good ideas” for a potential John Wick: Chapter 5 but that it wouldn’t be part of the John Wick: Chapter 4 storyline. “It would not be what you would think it is. If we could ever crack it to where Keanu and I thought it was a great idea and it didn’t feel like a cheese-out, then that’s great,” he said. “But as far as [John Wick: Chapter 4], we’ve peaked. At least I have. That’s my apex. We ended it. It’s a complete story. I watch it now, and I feel very happy about it, but we wouldn’t try to outdo it. We wouldn’t try to add on to that. It’d have to be a completely different storyline.“

Even without a fifth installment of the main series, there are still plenty of John Wick projects in development. Stahelski said that they’re “knee-deep in development on a feature anime about John Wick. It’s a prequel to the movies, which is awesome. It’s fun that it’s in a different medium.“

The next John Wick project to hit our screens will be Ballerina, a spinoff which stars Ana de Armas as a young woman with killer skills who sets out to get revenge when hitmen kill her family. As the film takes place in the John Wick universe, it will feature appearances from several franchise characters, including Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel, the late Lance Reddick as Charon, the Continental’s concierge, and Anjelica Huston as the Director, the head of the Ruska Roma. Keanu Reeves will also make an appearance as John Wick. The film will also include Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Bryne, and Norman Reedus in undisclosed roles. The film is set to hit theaters on June 6, 2025.

Would you like to see John Wick: Chapter 5, or should they leave Baba Yaga alone?