Summary

• Despite hints of John Wick's survival, there are clues that Baba Yaga truly died in John Wick: Chapter 4, including his on-screen collapse and his emotional sacrifice.
• Keanu Reeves' silence on John Wick 5 suggests that he may not return, as director Chad Stahelski has no interest in the film, and undoing John's death so quickly would lessen its impact.
• Lionsgate is focusing on spinoffs and prequels to the John Wick franchise, indicating a move away from Keanu Reeves' character and making up for his absence.

While many are convinced that John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is still alive, there are just as many clues that Baba Yaga really did die in John Wick: Chapter 4. The 2023 movie sees John on the run as the bounty on his head increases to tens of millions of dollars, and every assassin in the universe is out to kill him. Despite being such a feared hitman that was seemingly unkillable, John finally keels over after being shot by Caine (Donnie Yen) several times in the final duel. The titular character is then buried by Winston (Ian McShane) and The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) in New York with a headstone that reads, "Loving Husband."

Though John's death makes so much sense, especially given that it was hinted at throughout the whole of the movie and John seems to be at peace with his fate, many believe that John Wick is not actually dead. The movie features a lot of clues that hint at John's survival, such as the burial site being overgrown and the dog noticing something in the distance in the final John Wick: Chapter 4 scene. However, there are just as many clues that John Wick really is dead. Whether it's decisions about the franchise's future or micro-moments in the 2023 movie, there's no way John is coming back from the dead.

8 Keanu Reeves Hasn't Confirmed He'll Return For John Wick 5

Nobody is on the same page about John Wick 5, as Lionsgate confirmed John Wick is in development, which is unsurprising, and it's hard to blame the studio for greenlighting it given how successful John Wick: Chapter 4 was. However, while John Wick 5 is in active development, franchise director Chad Stahelski has no interest in the movie, and Keanu Reeves has yet to comment on the news. In this case, Reeves' silence speaks volumes. Reeves could simply still be in negotiations with the studio, but given how emotional the John Wick: Chapter 4 finale was, it's unlikely that Reeves would want to undo all that so quickly.

7 We Literally Saw John Wick Die

An off-screen death would totally have been questionable, as any character who dies off-screen is more than likely not dead. However, as John was looking out at the sunrise, he literally collapsed on-screen on the steps in Paris, and there's very little room for ambiguity. Wick has been healed from gunshots before, as the New York doctor helped John at the beginning of John Wick: Chapter 3, and John could have been sent to the doctor following the duel. Nevertheless, Winston and John were in , and there was no way John could have survived long enough to be transported back home to the doctor.

6 John Wick's Survival Would Make His Chapter 4 Sacrifice Meaningless

If John did survive in the John Wick: Chapter 4 ending, it would totally undermine the character's sacrifice. John Wick's death was so meaningful for a multitude of reasons, and that's what makes the movie surprisingly emotional. First of all, he intentionally lost the duel to Caine, which meant that he not only saved Caine's life but that Caine could see his daughter again, something which John emphasized after losing his wife, Helen. John had also come to with the possibility of death because he thought there was a chance that he'd be with Helen in the afterlife. In that respect, John's survival would tarnish everything.

5 An Alternate Ending Where John Wick Survives Was Changed

John Wick: Chapter 4 wasn't always supposed to end with John's death, as an alternate ending where John Wick survived was shot. Stahelski revealed, "We had a different ending. [The theatrical ending] was the ending Keanu and I wanted, but we shot a different ending. We shot an ending where you actually saw John Wick at the end of the movie... The audiences we tested with absolutely preferred the ambiguous ending." Given that not only was John's survival removed from the final cut but that the character's survival tested badly with audiences, John's death couldn't be more definitive.

4 Winston & The Bowery King Looked Like They Were Genuinely Grieving In The Cemetary

While at the cemetery in the final scene of John Wick: Chapter 4, which is presumably John's burial, there are a lot of clues that John isn't buried. For starters, the grass is overgrown, and it isn't a fresh grave, then the dog's sudden knee-jerk reaction raises questions too. However, ultimately, Winston and The Bowery King looked like they were genuinely grieving at John's headstone. When Winston says, "Farwell, my son," it seems as if Winston has genuinely lost a son, not like he's helped fake a death. There's nobody else around to convince, so there's no reason for Winston to fake his emotions.

3 It's Unlikely That Two John Wick Movies In A Row Would End With John Faking His Death

John Wick faking his death after an extraordinarily emotional final act is one thing, but making that creative decision for a movie after its predecessor ended the exact same way is another. At the end of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Winston and John hatch a plan to fake John's death by having him fall from the rooftop terrace of The Continental. That way, the High Table won't be so concerned about John. If John survived John Wick: Chapter 4, that means that not only will the movie have ended the same way as the threequel, but John will have faked his death for the exact same reason too.

2 Lionsgate Is Focusing On The John Wick ing Characters Instead

Lionsgate couldn't have been more candid about its plans for the John Wick franchise's future, as the studio intends on making countless John Wick spinoffs. John Wick: Chapter 4 set up a number of them, such as Akira (Rina Sawayama) hunting Caine, and a movie about the Tracker (Shamier Anderson) and Sofia (Halle Berry), who may or may not be Tracker's mother. The TV spinoff The Continental is scheduled for release in September, and the spinoff movie Ballerina will be released in 2024. The reason Lionsgate is fast-tracking so many spinoffs isn't just to build a franchise but to make up for the huge loss of Keanu Reeves/John Wick.

1 John Wick Is Returning... But In A Prequel

Keanu Reeves is reprising his role as the assassin, but not in a sequel. John Wick will appear in Ballerina, and the character will, of course, be played by Reeves, but the movie is a prequel. Not much has been revealed about Ballerina other than that Ana de Armas is playing the titular female assassin, but the timeframe has been confirmed, and the movie will take place between John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. There were eight months between the events of those movies, so it makes sense for Wick to appear, and it's yet another clue that John really isn't coming back from the dead.