After years of speculation and an ending that seemed to close the chapter for good, Lionsgate has officially confirmed that John Wick 5 is in development. The announcement comes despite the seemingly definitive fate of Keanu Reeves’ iconic assassin at the conclusion of John Wick: Chapter 4—a move that has left fans wondering how the franchise will manage to resurrect Baba Yaga without unraveling the carefully built narrative.
Lionsgate Confirms John Wick’s Return
In an interview with ComicBook.com, Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate’s Executive Vice President and Head of Global Products & Experiences, confirmed that a fifth John Wick movie is officially in the works. Brown highlighted the franchise’s impressive ability to grow and evolve beyond just the mainline films.
“This world continues to grow and expand in incredible ways,” Brown stated. “Up next, of course, we have Ballerina, which is our first spin-off movie, and we can’t wait for that to release to the world. Of course, we’ve announced we’re working on a fifth John Wick film. I think there are more spin-offs to come, a TV series, a video game.”
Brown’s comments underscore Lionsgate’s broader strategy to transform John Wick from a successful action series into a full-fledged cinematic universe. The expansion is already underway with the upcoming release of Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, which explores the deadly underworld from the perspective of another highly trained assassin.
Keanu Reeves Isn’t Convinced
While Lionsgate appears confident about reviving the franchise, Keanu Reeves himself seems skeptical about a fifth installment. In an interview with ComicBook.com, Reeves reiterated his belief that John Wick’s story had reached its natural conclusion.
“You know, the character’s dead. He died in John Wick: Chapter 4,” Reeves stated bluntly. When asked if there were plans to bring Wick back, he added, “Right now? Right now there isn’t.”
Reeves’ hesitation mirrors previous comments from the film’s producers. Erica Lee, a producer on the series, had previously suggested that the bar had been set so high with Chapter 4 that any future project would need to justify itself creatively.
“I think we set this bar so high in [John Wick: Chapter 4] and we left it all on the table,” Lee told ScreenRant. “So I think to pull it all together, it has to be a great idea and the stars have to align, and there’s a lot of pressure to get that right.”
What’s Next for the John Wick Universe?
Even if Keanu Reeves remains uncertain about returning, the franchise is pressing ahead. Ballerina is scheduled to hit theaters in the summer of 2025, featuring Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a deadly assassin trained in the same brutal style as John Wick. Reeves is set to make a brief appearance in the film, which will serve to tie the spinoff more closely to the mainline series.
De Armas has made it clear that while Eve shares some stylistic similarities with Wick, her character stands on her own.
“I think there are some trademarks in the style of the fights in John Wick, and things that he does that are very particular to him,” de Armas told Collider. “But because in this movie we’re seeing through Eve’s eyes the background of that training that John had… Eve Macarro is Eve Macarro. She’s not John Wick.”
Lionsgate’s strategy seems clear: keep building the universe through spinoffs, side stories, and new characters while leaving the door open for John Wick’s eventual return. After all, in Hollywood, death is rarely permanent—especially when there’s a loyal fanbase and a billion-dollar franchise at stake.
Can John Wick Truly Stay Dead?
The biggest question surrounding John Wick 5 remains whether Keanu Reeves will ultimately reprise his role. While Reeves has made it clear that he considers the character’s story finished, Lionsgate’s decision to move forward with another film suggests that they’re prepared to find a creative way to bring Wick back—whether through flashbacks, prequels, or a dramatic twist that rewrites the assassin’s fate.
For now, fans can only speculate about what’s next. One thing’s for sure: Baba Yaga may have drawn his last breath in Chapter 4, but in the world of high-stakes assassins and criminal underworlds, no one ever stays dead for long.