It’s here – our first look at John Wick: Chapter 4 has just been revealed.
Keanu Reeves stars in the upcoming John Wick sequel as the titular hitman and all-round badass, and now we’ve got our first look at the movie thanks to a brand-new image.
Depicting John Wick amid a blur of candles with his head bowed, it’s a solemn, almost religious look for the not-quite-retired assassin.
Of course, Wick was last seen in the critically-acclaimed John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum which saw the rogue assassin become “incommunicado”. But by the end of the movie, allegiances have been tested… with The Continental and Winston assuming their neutral status once more, after the possible betrayal of Wick. Thankfully, Wick finds himself rescued by none other than the Bowery King.
But did Winston pull his shot on purpose? And did he actually save John’s life?
There are a lot of questions left to be answered, and it looks as though John Wick himself will be paying penance for his crimes against the High Table. Or perhaps he’s just confessing for the kills he’s about to commit.
Unfortunately, this first look offers little in the way of clues, and it’s going to be a while before we get any answers. After all, John Wick 4 has been pushed back until early 2023, currently set to debut on March 24, 2023.
That said, the film’s title has already been teased by actor Shamier Anderson, who referred to the film as “John Wick: Chapter 4 – Hagakure”.
Quite how the ways of the samurai will tie into this altogether religious-looking still remains to be seen. But co-star Laurence Fishburne recently explained that the sequel will delve deeper into the code of the assassin.
It certainly looks as though Wick is taking an altogether more contemplative stance in the upcoming sequel.
Still, I’m guessing we can expect a bit of action, too. It is John Wick, after all.
John Wick Chapter 4 will star Keanu Reeves as John Wick alongside Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, Marko Zaror, Bill Skarsgård, and Scott Adkins.
Chad Stahelski directed the film based on a script by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.