When you talk about the “John Wick” film (and soon-to-be TV) franchise, it’s hard not to understate the success it has experienced. Each of the first three films has nearly doubled the worldwide gross of the previous, and the most recent, “John Wick: Chapter 4” just had an opening weekend that is better than any of the previous films. It’s really amazing to see this sort of success in an era where sequels usually lead to diminishing returns, especially after the fourth entry. So, there’s no question the people involved would like to see the ‘Wick’ franchise grow and expand. We know “Ballerina” is coming eventually, as is “The Continental” TV series. But according to one ‘Wick’ producer, there are plenty of other characters that deserve a deeper dive in a potential spinoff.
Speaking to Screen Rant, “John Wick” producer Erica Lee mentioned a couple of characters in the franchise who are primed for a spinoff feature. Interestingly, one of the potential spinoffs would feature Keanu Reeves’ ‘Matrix’ co-star, Laurence Fishburne.
“Yeah, I think the world of the Bowery King [played by Fishburne] and the Bowery is something that we’re really interested in exploring more of,” said Lee. “He sort of runs the underground, and it’s such an interesting world. How does he get the guns and the boats? He shows up everywhere. He’s the leader; he has homeless running the streets and information through pigeons. He’s low-tech and analog in a digital world, and he knows everyone and gets everywhere. I think that is something that’s really interesting to explore.”
READ MORE: ‘Ballerina’: Anjelica Huston Reprises ‘John Wick 3’ Role In Spinoff Starring Ana de Armas
She added, “The character of Akira [played by Rina Sawayama] really pops in the movie, and I’d love to sort of see some further adventures with her character. There’s a lot! There’s a lot of characters in ‘John Wick 4,’ and a lot of fan favorites from movies of the past. There’s definitely a lot of stuff we want to dig deeper into.”
Obviously, when you mention a “John Wick” spinoff with Fishburne leading the way, people will get excited. There are those aforementioned ‘Matrix’ ties. However, it would be interesting to explore the Bowery just a bit more as a way to further showcase the incredible worldbuilding of the ‘Wick’ franchise. The films all do a wonderful job of dropping hints and teasing new characters and locations without too much exposition. These teases make for obvious spinoffs, and Fishburne is already a star who could easily carry a film.
As for Akira, who is played by Sawayama. The performer is fairly new to acting, in general. She’s already a massive music star and model, with plenty of fans from those ventures. However, “John Wick: Chapter 4” marks her first film role. In much the opposite way to Fishburne, but just as enticing, it would be great for the ‘Wick’ franchise to expand with a new leading actor who has room to grow into the role. So, why not Akira?
Lee also confirmed that an unannounced spinoff is already in development in a new interview with Collider. She said, “There is another film that we’re developing that I think we’ll be announcing in the next, say, month or two. Then, I’m hopeful there’s a ‘Ballerina 2,’ and ‘John Wick 5,’ and lots of other things. But we’re developing a lot of stuff and having a lot of discussions with a lot of writers and brand management and Wick universe is my utmost priority.”
All that to say, there are plenty of options for ‘Wick’ expansion, if the folks controlling the franchise want it to happen. And honestly, there’s been no downside in the film series yet, so until we see the first ‘Wick’ flop, we can fully expect more and more spinoffs.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” is in theaters now.