A new poster is unveiled for Ballerina follows de Armas' Eve as she seeks revenge following the murder of her family. The movie, which is directed by Len Wiseman instead of franchise veteran Chad Stahelski, is set to feature a number of returning elements from the world of John Wick, including cameos and ing performances from Reeves, Ian McShane as Winston, Lance Reddick as Charon, and Anjelica Huston as The Director.

When it comes to Ballerina's protagonist, however, a new poster from Lionsgate teases that de Armas won't be a female copy of Reeves' fan-favorite assassin. The poster features a familiar general design to past John Wick posters, but it differs in the details. Eve's back is visible in the poster, with the Latin phrase "Lux In Tenebris" written across it, translating to "light in darkness." Reeves' assassin also has a back tattoo, but his translates to "fortune favors the bold," meaning the spin-off may feature a new kind of protagonist. Check out the new Ballerina poster below:

What The Poster Means For Ballerina

How Will The Spinoff Compare To John Wick?

Stahelski has been crucial to the John Wick universe and, as a former stuntman, it's his unique vision and experience that has made the franchise's action sequences so captivating. Stahelski not directing Ballerina means the action sequences may have a different flavor, though Wiseman is no stranger to the genre having directed the Underworld movies and the Total Recall reboot.

The poster's tease about Eve is interesting, though, and it could speak to the new direction the spinoff is going in. Reeves' character has largely been a force of destruction throughout the movies, embarking on a quest for vengeance and showing very little mercy along the way. Though Eve in Ballerina looks to have many of Wick's skills for fighting, the idea that she is a "light in darkness" could mean that she has more of a conscience and that she will serve as a force for good instead of operating in a gray area as Wick does.

Our Take On The Ballerina Poster

Ana De Armas Has What It Takes To Be An Action Star

It's hard to imagine John Wick being successful without Reeves, and the actor's persona and his commitment to doing his own action sequences has resulted in some truly thrilling set pieces. Though it will be a challenge for de Armas to live up to the high bar that Reeves has set, she was a highlight of No Time Time To Die in 2021, appearing briefly during a Cuba-set action sequence and showing off some impressive physicality.

It remains unclear whether John Wick 5 will happen, but Stahelski has said that both he and Reeves would return if the story idea was strong enough.

De Armas certainly seems to have the chops to fit in well in the John Wick universe and the idea of her being less morally ambiguous in the dark world of assassins is an interesting way to avoid just repeating what was done with Reeves' character. Though some key ingredients are in place, the main thing Ballerina will need in order to succeed is thrilling action sequences, and it remains to be seen whether Wiseman will deliver.

Source: Lionsgate