Frustrated by the ending of one of his films, Keanu Reeves asked for a sequel

In March 2023, fans couldn’t wait to see the long-awaited conclusion to this action saga. But did you know that Keanu Reeves personally requested the creation of a fourth part? Indeed, the ending of the third film did not suit him.

For many years, Keanu Reeves has wonderfully taken on the role of John Wick in the eponymous saga. Although many fans of these action films are unaware of it, the actor who has experienced many dramas in his life, like director Chad Stahelski, had initially planned to conclude the story with John Wick Parabellum, the third part of the series. But, as you probably remember, at the end of the feature film, Winston (Ian McShane) shoots John (Keanu Reeves) from the roof of the New York Continental building. He is later found by the Bowery King’s men, setting up John’s role in a possible revolt. During an interview given to Empire, the showrunner explains that this conclusion could have been that of the sagabut both he and Keanu Reeves were not satisfied with it.

The third installment of the John Wick saga was supposed to be the last

As the creator explains, “They didn’t feel like they did their best.” “We both felt like we could have ended the show better. We didn’t feel like we made an impact, and that’s a crazy feeling. Because we love the character, we love working together, we love the world. We knew he had to die but we had to find the coolest way to do it. Our philosophy from the start was that ‘you can only (have) a good death if you’ve had a good life’. That’s the first line we wrote on a napkin in Japan. We wrote the movie backwards on that one thing.” he adds.

John Wick 4 : the alternative ending revealed by the director

Still during his interview with EmpireChad Stahelski Reveals John Wick’s Final Tombstone Scene Wasn’t the only idea he had to conclude the saga. An alternate conclusion sequence was filmed, but not used: “We had a different ending. (The theatrical ending) was the one Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending. We shot an ending where we saw John Wick at the end of the movie. So he was very clear that he was still alive. The audiences we tested preferred the ambiguous ending.”

Article written in collaboration with 6Medias