The wait for John Wick: Chapter 4 (which may have the subtitle Hagakure) has stretched on much longer than expected, with the next entry in the popular Keanu Reeves-led action film series having once been slated for May 2021 and now on track to come out early next year. There are still a lot of questions surrounding the upcoming 2023 movie, but with less than a year to go until Chapter 4’s arrival, a new goodie has dropped to boost the hype: our first look at Reeves’ return as John Wick.
The last time we saw Keanu Reeves in action as John Wick was in 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, which not only earned great critical reception like its predecessors, but is the highest-grossing entry in the film series so far with its $327.3 million worldwide haul. We have a ways to go until we see how John Wick: Chapter 4 performs at the box office, but for now, take a look at the movie’s first official still, showing Reeves’ character looking contemplative in what looks like a religious setting.
Although a promotional image of Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4 was on display at CinemaCon earlier this year, the above picture comes straight from the Lionsgate production itself. How John ended up in this potentially sacred space, that’s hard to say, but he’s evidently taking some precious quiet moments to reflect while basking in the glow of these candles. Sadly, given how John’s life is going these days, it stands to reason he won’t be able to stay in that area for long, as he’ll soon need to go back to eliminating the people in the way of accomplishing his goals.
As already noted, plot details for John Wick: Chapter 4 are being closely guarded, although given how John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum ended, it’s expected that Keanu Reeves’ character and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King, who is confirmed to be returning, will team up to bring down the High Table. Speaking of which, Clancy Brown, one of the new actors appearing in Chapter 4, has said that this movie will explore more of the High Table’s “intricacies,” and its specific “authority structure” is revealed. Like the last two John Wick movies, Chapter 4 will also see its protagonist traveling across the globe, with filming taking place in Berlin, Paris, Japan and New York City.
Other familiar faces returning for John Wick: Chapter 4 include Ian McShane’s Winston and Lance Reddick’s Charon, both of whom have been part of the John Wick saga since the beginning. Looking to the newcomers, Clancy Brown will be joined by Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada (who was once rumored to appear in John Wick 3), Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror. As with the first three John Wick movies, Chad Stahelski directed this latest installment, and Shay Hatten and Michael Finch worked on the script.
John Wick: Chapter 4 will bow in theaters on March 24, 2023, and CinemaBlend will continue sharing updates about the movie, including when the first trailer drops.
