Yeah, we’re thinking he’s back. If you’ve been itching for some punishingly brutal, synapse-tinglingly satisfying fight sequences recently, we bring tidings of joy: John Wick: Chapter 4 is a matter of months away, and it seems Keanu Reeves’ unstoppable hitman is going up against yet another army of rogues. As the criminal underworld saga rumbles on, Baba Yaga is still struggling to extricate himself from a cavalcade of foes – this time including the legendary Donnie Yen, pop sensation Rina Sawayama, and Bill ‘Pennywise’ Skarsgård among many others. And he’s doing so with nunchucks, axes, and guns. Lots of guns. Check out the action-packed trailer here.
With each entry, the John Wick series grows increasingly mythical and gleefully ludicrous – and Chapter 4 seems to continue that trajectory. As well as the usual lashings of neon, rave-brawls, art-gallery sword fights and more, this one looks set to introduce another cabal of organised criminals who John Wick will have to fight his way through in order to win his freedom. There’s some intriguing stuff here – why is Wick on speaking terms with Winston, after being mercilessly betrayed by him at the end of Chapter 3? Will that teased team-up with Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King actually pay off? Can they offer some narrative momentum for John Wick earning his freedom without wrapping the saga up? And will we ever get tired of hearing Keanu emphasise the word “…gun”? (OK, we know the answer to that one: nope.)
The action looks suitably on point here, too. After the bar set by Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, it has a lot to live up to – but the sight of Reeves bashing someone repeatedly in the head with a nunchuk is a pure hit of cinema. Chapter 4 is once again directed by Chad Stahelski, and written by Michael Finch and Shay Hatten. Also among the cast is Natalia Tena, Clancy Brown, Scott Adkins, and the one and only Hiroyuki Sanada.
As Winston tells Wick in the trailer, “Just have fun out there.” It looks like the cast certainly did – and hopefully, the audience will too. We’ll find out when John Wick: Chapter 4 hits UK cinemas from 24 March 2023.