Why it's best to leave the 'John Wick' franchise alone

Keanu Reeves is right. The beleaguered assassin is dead and tired. Let him rest.

Lionsgate accomplished a remarkable feat with John Wick: They made four well-received movies and a boatload of cash. In the process of doing so, they didn’t tarnish the brand or take it in a direction that didn’t feel true to the franchise. Keanu Reeves’s retired assassin gets pulled back into the game of killing by a group of under-educated Russian criminals who ruffle the feathers of the wrong man. When he thought he was out, the world pulled him back in.

Lionsgate pulled in audiences unexpectedly with the first film’s release in 2014. I don’t think they had any idea that the film would blast out of the gate and create something that would reform the action-hero genre. From the gunplay to the martial arts displayed by the cast, including its star taking on the majority of the stunt work, Chad Stahelski’s film was innovative because he cut the shit with his choreography. Instead of the camera being too close to see what the actors were doing, he pulled it back so we could see the kicks and flips.

Seeing Reeves perform all the stunts and take on the role wholeheartedly added another layer of authenticity to the story. If you take that away, the entire franchise loses some luster. While he didn’t wish to hang off the side of an airplane or extremely tall building like Tom Cruise, Reeves wouldn’t miss out on learning the fight moves and gunwork to climb into the rugged persona of a natural-born killer.

For example, when it came time to toss Wick down a flight of 200+ stairs in France at the Sacre-Coeur during the climax of the fourth and final film, Reeves didn’t try to be Cruise-tough and take the leap himself. At the same time, the work of stunt teams is respected and crucial to a film’s production. Seeing the star on camera taking punches and using weapons like a seasoned pro unlocked a door for a fan frenzy. Throw in the dead dog and wife; the hook was in.

Respect for guns, their usage, and reality was paramount in the four films. Instead of the actor never running out of bullets or changing his magazine, Reeves’s gunman constantly runs out of ammo and even uses a gun like a knife when that happens. A movie can decide to be realistic, even an action film that features more kills than most entries in the genre.

For the same reason that people have four delicious French fries and crave more, fans of the franchise are asking for more Wick adventures, even if the guy died in the last one. While promoting his docuseries Visionaries, Reeves was asked about the possibility of a fifth film. The actor couldn’t help but chuckle at the question, reminding the interviewer that the guy currently sleeps with the dead. The ending was ambiguous enough to leave a few breadcrumbs in the final scene.

In the land of Hollywood, though, no one is dead. Reeves understands the notion. Stahelski gets it. Yet, both men have said that the fifth film isn’t even on the burner. Unless there’s a story worth telling that hasn’t been told yet, they aren’t going back to the well. The director noted that they usually share a bourbon at a bar in Japan after the press tour for the latest film to determine if another one is worth doing. That didn’t happen… at least not yet. Here’s what Stahelski had to say about the end of the series before the release of the fourth film:

“People ask me this all the time, am I ending the movie for a cliffhanger? Is there a number four it’s headed for,” Stahelski said. “Keanu and I have never, from one to two, two to three, ever expected to do a sequel or a follow-up.”

The reasons why aren’t hard to fathom. If they go back and make another one, and it stinks, the fans will never let them hear the end of it. Each sequel release carried the same danger, something the duo cleared with exciting and unique follow-ups. While the main character was pretty unkillable for nearly four films and ten years, there would be eye-rolls if he suddenly was okay and ready to go again.

Also, what’s the motive? The first film showered him in retirement until the wrong guys screwed with him. The second film found an old colleague calling on him for a marker that helped him escape the hitman game. After he killed that guy on the grounds of The Continental Hotel, a big no-no for killers, Wick found himself on the run for the next two movies. John honored his wife's legacy and life in one showdown by helping an old pal in Donnie Yen’s Kincaid win his daughter back.

Walking back into that house for another party wouldn’t be wise, even with maestros like Reeves and Stahelski. Without directly telling fans it’s over, the filmmaker and actor are trying to say to fans that too many times into the fray results in a tepid experience. Also, Reeves is 61 in September, so the guy is tired.

Instead of asking for more, appreciate the four films that managed to jump through the hoops of expectations and stakes and come out on the other side with a well-made and original action franchise. In a time where sequels and remakes are stuffing cinemas, one assassin saying “less is more” would be refreshing. The end of the final film was most likely produced for Lionsgate to tell fans that a fifth film is in development, but that’s where the proposed film should stay.

Like Winston told John several times, “Without rules, we live with the animals.”