John Wick 5 Is Happening: Why We're Worried About The Franchise's Future
John Wick 5 is officially happening, and it has us seriously worried about the franchise's future. The first four John Wick films have all been fantastic, with each one building on the last to create a much bigger world with even zanier action set pieces. However, John Wick 5 may be taking things a bit too far for the Keanu Reeves-led action series. Another John Wick movie could end up hurting the franchise, and the existence of John Wick 5 is setting the series down a path that may doom the franchise's future by tarnishing everything that came before it.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is the most recent entry in the John Wick franchise, with the 2023 film being bigger and better than anything before it. John Wick: Chapter 4 was the peak of the series, and it also contained one of the franchise's most shocking moments: the death of John Wick. Killing off the franchise's main character seems like a pretty clear end to the series, but that may not be the case. More John Wick sequels, spin-offs, and TV series are currently in development, showing that the series will continue despite John Wick's death. Although the series' success makes this understandable, John Wick 5 really shouldn't be done.
John Wick 5 Could Kill The Franchise's Winning Streak
So far, the John Wick franchise has an incredible winning streak, but it could be killed by John Wick 5. Many viewers consider each John Wick movie to be better than the last, with some audiences agreeing that John Wick: Chapter 4 is the best that the series has to offer. Even if some viewers disagree, each John Wick movie has garnered almost universal acclaim, with each entry's story and action being worthy of praise. Movie series rarely have four subsequent entries as well-received as those of the John Wick franchise, with John Wick's unprecedented winning streak being something truly special.
Sadly, it seems likely that John Wick 5 will kill the franchise's winning streak. It is almost impossible to navigate the return of John Wick in a satisfying way, meaning that the reception of the fifth movie will inevitably take a big critical hit. Revealing that John Wick didn't actually die would undermine the perfect ending of John Wick: Chapter 4. Bringing John Wick back would be too nonsensical even for the pretty zany franchise. Focusing on a different character would also be the wrong direction to go, as the movie still has John Wick in its name. There is simply no good way to go about making John Wick 5.
John Wick's Spinoffs Risk Diminishing Franchise Returns
John Wick's various spin-offs and sequels also set up a problem of diminishing franchise returns. A John Wick project can only be made so good, with the franchise inevitably reaching a point where the magic has simply been lost. Even if Ballerina and The Continental are good, they are nothing new, with them most likely retreading on old ground. The John Wick formula will become stale at some point, which is why it was smart to end the franchise when it was on top after John Wick: Chapter 4. However, the series is still going on, with spin-offs and sequels potentially running it into the ground.
That's under the assumption that these spin-offs and sequels are actually good. It's also possible that Ballerina and The Continental don't live up to the quality of the mainline John Wick movies, which is a real risk considering that they are made up of different creative teams. One bad John Wick project could kill the franchise's reputation, ruining the pristine legacy that the first four movies built up. So, whether John Wick's endless litany of sequels and spin-offs are good or not, they will end up hurting the franchise in one way or another.
John Wick Let Himself Die - Lionsgate Should Too
John Wick's death at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 was a sacrifice, with him dying because he knew that he could only keep fighting for so long. John Wick wanted to go out on his own terms, and this parallels the creative team behind John Wick and their decision to end the series after John Wick: Chapter 4. The movies wanted to go out while they were on top, which was probably a wise decision. After all, it is incredibly rare for a franchise to have four consecutive movies as financially and critically well-received as the John Wick films. John Wick let himself die, and Lionsgate should too.
Despite the character and the creatives wanting to let John Wick die, Lionsgate just won't let it happen. John Wick is one of Lionsgate's biggest franchises, meaning that it wants to keep the cash cow going. However, the John Wick well will inevitably run dry. Lionsgate should instead preserve the legacy and status of their iconic action franchise rather than milking it to death. It's possible that Ballerina could be good, but with John Wick 5 now happening, there is no end in sight, meaning that Lionsgate will presumably keep the series going until it has been run into the ground.
John Wick Already Defied The Odds, He Can Do It Again
Although all signs point to John Wick 5 and the spin-offs being doomed, it's possible that they could work. After all, the original John Wick already defied the odds. John Wick struggled to find a distributor, with Lionsgate being their only bidder. For a while it seemed as if John Wick was going to go directly to home video, skipping a theatrical run entirely. The studio wasn't confident in John Wick, with Keanu Reeves having been in a series of box office bombs like 47 Ronin. However, John Wick ended up being a huge success, defying the odds by becoming one of the most recognizable action franchises of all time.
Since defying the odds is built into the history of John Wick, it could happen again. It's possible that Ballerina and The Continental are both great, upholding the legacy of the franchise. It's even possible that the writers could find a clever way of bringing John Wick back, with John Wick 5 being just as good as the previous movies. Although John Wick 5 seems like a guaranteed failure, its success isn't an impossibility.
