This post contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4 has been a hit at the box office. The hype is now on spinoffs such as Ana de Armas’ Ballerina. And lucky us: one of the movie’s producers recently shed some light on the involvement of stars Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and the late Lance Reddick.
Despite John Wick 4 resulting in the demise of Reeves and Reddick’s characters, the plan was always for John and Charon to make an appearance in some capacity, since Ballerina is set between Chapters 3 and 4. As the movie entered post-production last month, Reddick likely filmed his scenes before his unfortunate passing. Now, all that’s left is to see how the trio will assist de Armas’ Rooney in entering this lavish world.
In an interview with Collider, Erica Lee, the producer of John Wick and Ballerina, Ian and Lance’s cameos were an enjoyable addition to the film. Although Lance only appeared for one day to shoot his cameo, Lee stated that John Wick’s role is more significant than Reddick’s, as the former is an extended cameo. Winston, portrayed by Ian McShane, has more screen time than John, and his character has a more substantial role to play. This decision makes sense since Rooney is likely to visit a Continental location, which is associated with Winston. The same goes for Anjelica Huston’s character, the director of the Ruska Roma School.
Erica Lee revealed that she was uncertain whether Keanu Reeves would sign up for Ballerina. However, Reeves ultimately did, and the challenge was to maintain the timeline continuity after John Wick 4’s shocking finale. Lee wasn’t as definitive as Reeves or director Chad Stahelski about the fate of the main character, questioning whether he was dead or alive. This ambiguity meanas that the door is open for the character’s potential return in future movies.
The John Wick franchise is currently at a crossroads. Although Reeves and Stahelski appreciated the deadly sendoff given to the Boogeyman, Lionsgate executives would want to continue their most successful film series. Fortunately, spinoffs like Ballerina and The Continental series have a ready-made audience, thanks to the intriguing rules for assassins in the High Table’s world. De Armas’ popularity also makes Ballerina appealing.
Lance Reddick’s cameo will be more poignant due to his small role in John Wick 4, and the actor’s unexpected passing.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is currently available in theaters.
