Warning: This article contains spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4.

Keanu Reeves is able to return in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina for one major reason. Reeves has played the title character in the John Wick franchise since the first movie debuted in 2014, however the character died at the end of the most recent installment in the action series, 2023's John Wick: Chapter 4. Ballerina is set to focus on a completely different character, the assassin Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), but it will feature other characters from the universe including Anjelica Huston as The Director, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, and Lance Reddick as Charon.

While it was preceded by the Peacock prequel miniseries The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which premiered in 2023 and follows a younger version of Winston Scott (Colin Woodell), the Ballerina will be the first feature-length spinoff in the franchise. This may explain why it has much deeper connections to the franchise at large and more returning characters. This includes the return of John Wick himself, as Keanu Reeves was confirmed to be reprising the iconic role in the first official trailer for the movie, which arrived on September 26, 2024.

Ballerina Takes Place Before John Wick's Death In Chapter 4

The Movie Plays With The John Wick Timeline

The reason Keanu Reeves is able to return as John Wick, as showcased in the Ballerina trailer, is the fact that the new movie takes place before the events of John Wick: Chapter 4. The official synopsis for the movie says that it takes place "during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum." That 2019 installment originally introduced the ballerina assassins of the Ruska Roma to the world of the franchise, primarily focusing on Unity Phelan as trainee Rooney.

For some time, it was unclear if Ana de Armas would be taking over the role of Rooney or playing a different ballerina role with a similar characterization.

Despite this description from the synopsis, it ultimately seems likely that the movie will be taking place between the events of Parabellum and Chapter 4 on the John Wick timeline. The first three installments in the franchise span roughly a week of in-universe time in spite of the fact that the movies came out in theaters over the course of five years, with the events of Chapter 4 then following Chapter 3 by about six months. Considering the fact that the flagship movies have such a truncated chronology, it seems unlikely that Ballerina will adhere exactly to the Parabellum timeline.

Keanu Reeves Helped Choose Ballerina's Setting To Make John Wick's Return Possible

The Star Has Not Abandoned His Iconic Action Role

Not only does the timeline of Ballerina allow Keanu Reeves to return to his newest iconic action movie role, the star was instrumental in giving himself the opportunity to do so. In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he revealed that he worked with both Ana de Armas and director Len Wiseman when the spinoff was being developed. Reeves said that Wiseman asked him when the movie should take place and the star helped decide that it should "[take] place between chapter 3 and chapter 4," allowing him the opportunity to appear alongside de Armas.

Len Wiseman is a director who is best known for his contributions to the Underworld franchise, though he has also helmed other movies including Live Free or Die Hard and 2012's Total Recall.

While his 2023 comments slightly contradict the timeline revealed in the official Ballerina synopsis as of 2024, they reveal the fact that the star was a driving force behind his own return, showcasing his commitment to the franchise. Whether this means that he will return in future John Wick movies still remains to be seen, however. A fifth movie in the flagship series is already in development and Reeves is said to still be involved, though it remains to be seen in exactly what capacity he is able to appear, if he does reprise the role onscreen once more.

Will Keanu Reeves' Ballerina Return Connect To John Wick's Death?

The Exact Timeline Of The Movie Is Still Unknown

So far, it has not been confirmed how far the narrative of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina extends into the timeline of the overall franchise. As it seems to at least largely coincide with the events of Parabellum, it would have to take place over several months or include a time jump in order to include John Wick's death as part of its storyline. However, this is entirely possible as the effects of the major character's death could be explored in the broader universe as part of the movie's finale or in a post-credits sequence.

Source: EW