With each piece of the continually-expanding mythology that’s been laid in place, the saga of John Wick and his battle against The High Table only grows in its intensity. The mysterious body that rules the criminal underworld in this universe is slowly, but surely being revealed to the audience, with John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum raising those stakes to their highest. From what actor Clancy Brown has said about his role in the upcoming sequel John Wick: Chapter 4, the key to expanding Keanu Reeves’ franchise this time around lies in that very mysterious subject, as well as his role in the overall film.
How John Wick: Chapter 4 Will Expand The Franchise, According To Clancy Brown
As he spoke with Collider in support of his role on Showtime’s Dexter: New Blood, Mr. Brown was happy to speak as much as he could about his under-wraps character. His still-unnamed figure is a little less mysterious thanks to those remarks, but for now, let’s read through what Clancy Brown said about how this installment will expand the John Wick mythology:
I will say it’s more of the Table revealed. More of the High Table, the kind of intricacies of that authority structure is revealed. With my guy. And I am in a couple of scenes that you could argue are action scenes, I suppose. A lot of my scenes are with Bill Skarsgård, which was a lot of fun.
That’s a pretty huge revelation, which arrives on the heels of the potential title for the film being revealed as John Wick: Chapter 4 - Hagakure. While the rules and dealings of the High Table have been central to how this series operates, learning more of the intricacies surrounding it is an intriguing proposition. As Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and his ever-degrading relationship with the High Table is the driver for the overall arc, it sounds like the rules and rulers of this strict hierarchy could be challenged even further. Better still, this plotline seems to tie into who this Shawshank Redemption veteran is playing in the grand scheme of things.
Who Could Clancy Brown Be Playing In John Wick: Chapter 4?
Again, we still really don’t know much about Clancy Brown’s John Wick: Chapter 4 role, and there’s no name for us to attach to the face at this point. On the bright side, reading how “the kind of intricacies of [the High Table] is revealed” in this story, and through his guy as he puts it, Brown’s side in the conflict looks clearly laid out. Presumably, Mr. Brown will be playing a new figure in the High Table power structure; someone akin to Asia Kate Dillon’s role as The Adjudicator in John Wick: Chapter 3.
Cool code name potential aside, this shadowy character is apparently interacting with Bill Skarsgård’s similarly mysterious role quite a bit. Pushing the boat of speculation out a bit further, assumptions can be made that the IT star is one of Keanu Reeves’ new pursuers this time out, with Clancy Brown being his official handler. That’s just a seemingly educated guess on our part, as Skarsgård’s comments about the role being “fun” could mean anything in the John Wick universe. For all we know, these two heavy hitters from the Stephen King cinematic canon could be two members of the Table, butting heads on how to handle Mr. Wick's continued habit of surviving in excommunication.
The High Table’s realm of mystique is only part of the excitement that will expand Keanu Reeves’ world of mayhem. Let’s not forget The Continental and Ballerina spinoffs are still in play, which is good news in a world that’s seen John Wick: Chapter 4 delayed even further. You’ll have to wait quite a bit to see Clancy Brown and the rest of this new adventure’s cast of characters, as the third sequel has been delayed to a release date of March 24, 2023.
If you're curious about what will be opening in its former late May slot for this summer, head over to the 2022 release schedule to see what’s on the board.
