The title for John Wick 4 has seemingly been revealed. The legendary assassin's next adventure is titled "John Wick Chapter 4: Hagakure," according to an Instagram post by actor Shamier Anderson.
Click on the second photo in the Instagram post below to see it.
Anderson posted several photos from the production of the film, including a selfie with star Keanu Reeves and a picture of a drawstring bag with "John Wick Chapter 4: Hagakure" printed on the side.
Anderson plays a character named "Tracker," and joins fellow cast members including martial arts star Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard (It), Laurence Fishburne, and more.
"Hagakure" specifically refers to the book Hagakure, or "Hidden by the Leaves." Written in 1716 by a samurai named Yamamoto Tsunetomo, who served Saga domain daimyo Nabeshima Mitsushige for 30 years until the daimyo's death in 1700. Later in his life, Tsunetomo narrated his thoughts on bushido, the way of the samurai, disparaging it as the "way of dying." Tsunetomo served his lord during a time of relative peace after 1638, effectively turning the book into a reflection of maintaining a samurai class in an era that was quickly leaving them behind.
"The work, written in 1716, is well-known for the quote 'The way of the warrior is death,' giving rise to the misconception of Bushidō as a code of death," writes Osaka Gakuin University Professor Kasaya Kazuhiko in 2019. "However, this phrase is not intended as a compulsion to die. Rather, it teaches that, through a constant consciousness of death, it is possible to achieve a state of freedom that transcends life and death, whereby 'it is possible to perfectly fulfill one’s calling as a warrior.'"
Hagakure also asserted that samurai are responsible for guiding their lords responsibly, stating “The ultimate loyalty for a retainer is to admonish his lord to govern the nation.”
We'll have to wait and see what aspects of bushido and samurai lifestyle John Wick 4 employs, but with stars like Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama, Mortal Kombat's Hiroyuki Sanada, and Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen, a deeper focus on Japanese themes wouldn't be out of character for the martial arts-driven franchise.
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bronin for IGN.