Even though it was only recently officially confirmed, early details about ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, it makes sense for the fifth movie to be a fresh start for Keanu Reeves' assassin.

At the end of the fourth film, John Wick seemingly died from a gunshot wound. In my opinion, this bittersweet ending was perfect for the franchise, which is why I was so surprised when John Wick 5 was confirmed at CinemaCon 2025. I don't think John Wick 5 is necessary, but I trust that Reeves and franchise director Chad Stahelski have a great idea for the film. The movie is likely still many years away, but an early John Wick 5 story update has already given me hope that it will be yet another great entry in the series.

John Wick 5's Story Isn't Continuing The High Table Storyline The First 4 Movies Were About

John Wick 5 Will Start A New Era For The Franchise

Given the ending of the fourth film, John Wick 5 will be the most unpredictable movie in the series yet. All the other sequels saw John Wick fighting against the High Table, who wanted to punish him for coming out of retirement and taking down the Tarasovs in the first film. However, it has already been confirmed that John Wick 5 won't involve the High Table. In an interview not long after the announcement of the film, Stahelski confirmed that John Wick 5 won't feature the High Table since Reeves' character already dealt with his grief. He said:

"The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up. So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. It’s not a continuation, with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, 'Holy f***... I gotta see that.'"

After the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, which was the most critically and commercially successful film in the series, both Reeves and Stahelski claimed that they would only make a fifth movie if they came up with a great idea. I'm glad that John Wick 5 won't heavily feature the High Table, since doing so would've made it feel too similar to the other movies in the series. Therefore, even though I don't believe a fifth John Wick movie is necessary, this early update gives me hope that Reeves and Stahelski have come up with a great story.

John Wick 5 Moving Away From The High Table Means It Could Soft-Reboot The Franchise

John Wick 5 Needs To Tell A New Story After Chapter 4's Ending

John Wick 5 being a soft-reboot may be a strange decision since every movie in the franchise has been very well-received. Franchises usually don't require a soft-reboot unless some movies have been poorly received by audiences and critics. The Jurassic World Rebirth is a perfect example of a film that is meant to start a new era for a franchise that has been struggling critically. However, none of the recent John Wick movies have struggled to garner positive reviews. In fact, John Wick: Chapter 4 has been regarded as one of the best action movies of all time.

Given the success of the previous films, some may think it's unnecessary for John Wick 5 to be a soft-reboot, but I actually disagree. After the ending of the fourth movie, I think starting a new era for the series is actually the best decision. By being a soft-reboot, John Wick 5 can include new locations, new villains, and possibly even new allies for Reeves' character. Since John Wick is starting a new chapter of his life, the Continental and the world of assassins we have become used to exploring doesn't necessarily need to be included in the fifth movie.

John Wick 5's New Direction Can Set Up A Fresh Future For Keanu Reeves' Assassin

What Will John Wick Do Next?

It is worth mentioning that there are some downsides to John Wick 5 being a soft-reboot, as well. For example, if New York's Continental, a major location in all the other movies, is not included, then it's possible that Ian McShane's Winston will also not appear in John Wick 5. Additionally, there may not be a reason to include Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King in John Wick 5. These are John Wick's closest allies who are still alive in the franchise, and they are both fan-favorite characters. However, depending on what John Wick 5's story is, they may not be needed.

I can't deny that I would love to see Winston and the Bowery King in John Wick 5, but leaving them out of the fifth movie would allow Reeves' character to have a fresh start and make some new allies. Perhaps instead of including Winston and the Bowery King, actors like Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving could play new allies for John Wick in the fifth film. Since Moss and Weaving both starred in the Matrix movies alongside Reeves, fans have been asking to see them in the John Wick franchise for a long time.

Adding new characters is just one suggestion for how to set John Wick 5 apart from the other movies in the series. Overall, I'm just hoping that the fifth film will take John Wick down a new path that audiences aren't expecting. Since the ending of the fourth movie seemed so definitive, Reeves, Stahelski, and the rest of the creative team have the opportunity to tell a truly unique story in the John Wick franchise. Therefore, I am hoping that John Wick 5 will be dramatically different from the series' other films.

Keanu Reeves Will Likely Be Back After John Wick 5 Too

John Wick 5 Can't Be The Series' Last Movie

Another reason John Wick 5 should be a soft-reboot and a fresh start for the franchise is because it will hopefully set up even more sequels. Even after the announcement of the fifth film, fans have argued that the franchise should have ended with John Wick: Chapter 4. This is a completely valid argument to make, since John Wick's "death" was a very fitting ending for the franchise. However, now that he will seemingly be revealed to be alive in John Wick 5, the film can't just kill him again.

It would be a mistake for John Wick 5 to try to kill the character again and make it stick with audiences. Therefore, it instead makes the most sense for the fifth movie to start a new arc for John Wick that could be told across several more films. Hopefully Reeves' willingness to return for John Wick 5 means that he will return for several more movies. Even though it was just announced, I am hopeful that John Wick 5 will be a successful beginning to a new era in the franchise that will hopefully continue for many more years.