John Wick 5 Has A Problem For His Return From The Dead, Thanks To Another Keanu Reeves Movie

Summary

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• John Wick 5 faces the challenge of resurrecting the character, given his death in John Wick: Chapter
• Reviving him would require a strong story idea to make it worthwhile.
• The Matrix Resurrections struggled with reviving a Keanu Reeves character, showing that bringing back a beloved character isn’t guaranteed to please audiences.
• Resurrecting John Wick would be even harder than bringing back Neo, as the John Wick movies take place in a mortal world without the sci-fi shield of the Matrix. However, if done right, John Wick 5 could succeed where The Matrix Resurrections failed by focusing on meeting and surpassing audience expectations.

Another Keanu Reeves sequel presents a problem for John Wick 5 when it comes to resurrecting the titular character. Much was made in the original John Wick about how the retired hitman was a near unstoppable force of nature, and was essentially the boogeyman made flesh. That said, the John Wick movies did a decent job of presenting a human side to the character. He was frequently badly wounded and had to push through unimaginable pain to succeed. None of which stopped him from racking up an outrageous bodycount, but it still worked wonders in making him sympathetic.

John Wick: Chapter 4’s ending pulled one of the bigger surprises of the series by actually killing Wick off, with the assassin succumbing to the laundry list of injuries he sustained during the finale. On one hand, it feels like the fourth outing ended Wick’s journey on a high, but the sequel was such a success that John Wick 5 feels inevitable. While the next movie has yet to be confirmed, director Chad Stahelski has stated he and Reeves would commit if they had a good story idea.

Related: John Wick 4 Post-Credits Scene Explained

The Matrix Resurrections Already Struggled With Bringing A Keanu Reeves Character Back From The Dead

Of course, John Wick 5 would have to deal with the sticky issue of Wick’s death. Given the aforementioned inhuman punishment the character has withstood, it’s not impossible to imagine he survived the fourth entry, faked his death and went into hiding. The larger question beyond that, however, would be what is the point of another sequel? Chapter 4 paid off his arc beautifully, and after four movies of struggling, he died for a cause he believed in. A fifth film would need a strong hook to work, and as The Matrix Resurrections proved, reviving a Reeves character isn’t guaranteed to make audiences happy.

The latter sequel brought back The Matrix franchise nearly 20 years after creators The Wachowskis had vowed the story of Reeves’ Neo was done. Despite a lot of excitement and pre-release hype for Resurrections, it was met with divided responses and was a true box-office bomb. The latter is partly blamed on its simultaneous theater and HBO Max release, but even so, there’s no point denying that the film was a bitter disappointment to some.

The Matrix Resurrections lacked both the effortless style of the original and the creative action sequences. It leaned hard on meta-humor too, and many of these gags failed to hit the mark. While it was nice to see Neo get his happy ending with Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), at worst, the movie felt like an unnecessary epilogue that lacked the emotional punch it was aiming for. Its reception makes Matrix 5 unlikely to happen anytime soon either.

John Wick Coming Back From The Dead Is Even Harder Than Neo

If John Wick 5 happens, it might have a bigger challenge to resurrect its hero than the last Matrix did. The latter sequel explained that the machines, through considerable effort, brought both Neo and Trinity back to life following their deaths in Revolutions. While not exactly medically accurate, the Matrix saga has the protection of taking place in a sci-fi, cyberpunk world that makes a little thing like resurrecting two exceedingly dead corpses more forgivable.

Another John Wick film wouldn’t have the cyberpunk shield. It takes place inside its own heightened reality, but still one where people are very mortal. Again, perhaps John faked his death following Chapter 4 – which is likely the route a potential fifth outing would take – but if not, the sequel will have a harder time explaining John Wick’s resurrection. Maybe the High Table has some kind of mythical revival fluid, or the sequel could take the easy way out and not even explain how he recovered from his mild case of death.

Related: Where To Watch John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick 5 Could Still Succeed Where The Matrix Resurrections Failed

While they have their flaws, the John Wick movies are still fantastic entertainment. This explains why there’s such a demand for another one, despite Chapter 4 finally laying the restless assassin to rest. Each entry has tried to top the previous in terms of scale and action, and they never feel like lazy cash-ins. John Wick 5 would set out to both meet and surpass expectations, whereas an issue with The Matrix Resurrections was a seeming desire to subvert expectations whenever possible.

Resurrections was reflective of its own existence, examining the place of the franchise in pop culture and as a piece of IP entertainment. This subtext gave the fourth film an intriguing edge, but the fact it underdelivered on the elements audiences wanted (i.e. the action and expansion of series lore) is what left many cold. The filmmakers behind John Wick 5 know what audiences want from the franchise, with a focus on entertaining them being first and foremost. A fifth movie shouldn’t happen without a solid story and arc for John, but once that’s nailed down, there are no real roadblocks to it happening.