Chad Stahelski Says ‘John Wick 5' Will Be A “Really Different" Story

John Wick has proven time and again that he's not easily taken out — a fact many in the criminal underworld have learned the hard way.

Though “John Wick: Chapter 4” seemed to bring a close to the saga, with Wick appearing to die from his injuries in Paris and a gravestone shown to seal the moment, his actual death was never explicitly shown. Now, it's confirmed that Keanu Reeves’ relentless assassin will return in the upcoming ‘Chapter 5.’ However, his comeback won’t be as straightforward as it seems.

Speaking to Empire, director Chad Stahelski explained, “The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up,” He added that ‘Chapter 5’ won’t simply pick up where the last one left off.

So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. It’s not a continuation with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, ‘Holy fuck... I gotta see that.’”

This is counter to what Reeves recently said about a potential fifth ‘Wick’ (“The character is dead. He died.”). I gather Lionsgate has paid the actor a handsome sum of money for him to change his mind.

Back in October 2023, after denying that another ‘Wick’ could ever happen, Stahelski changed his tune — he confirmed he already had ideas written down for five more John Wick sequels! Yes, chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. How many more kills can Wick commit? How much further can you stretch this franchise out? Quite a bit, it turns out.

At this point, John Wick might as well be immortal. He’s been shot, stabbed, beaten within an inch of his life, and allegedly buried—and yet, he keeps getting back up like it’s just another Monday. Over the course of the franchise, there have been plenty of scenes where any normal person would’ve been long gone, but Wick somehow powers through every time. Oh, and in case you’re counting, his current kill tally sits at a casual 439. Not exactly subtle.

Something tells me Lionsgate needs “John Wick: Chapter 5” to happen much more than Keanu. The studio is coming off a 2024 filled with epic box office failures like “The Crow,” “Borderlands,” “Megalopolis,” “Never Let Go,” and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.”

Lionsgate will be milking the Wick-verse ad nauseum. There’s already “Ballerina,” starring Ana de Armas, coming out this summer, and now another spin-off, “Caine,” is moving forward with Donnie Yen set to direct and star. The film will be stylistically modeled like Yen’s previous action films. There will also be an animated “John Wick” prequel directed by Shannon Tindle (‘Kubo and the Two Strings’), Reeves will return to voice the character. and a television series titled “Under The High Table.”