We all love the action in the John Wick series, the blood spill and killings, all supporting the main character – John Wick. But even if you have watched and re-watched John Wick 4, there are subtle things you could have missed that make this movie a whole lot awesome.
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The tributes, the easter eggs and the influences in John Wick built in an ever-expanding universe will leave you clamouring for more. Below are some hidden details you may have missed when watching John Wick 4.
But be warned – SPOILERS AHEAD.
The post-credit scene
John Wick movies do not have post-credit scenes, but with the 4th instalment, we see a post-credit scene involving Caine (Donnie Yen) – the blind assassin. After earning his freedom, Caine visits his daughter with a bouquet in hand, but before he can reach her, Akira(Rina Sawayama) intercepts him as she intends to exert revenge on him for killing his father.
However, the scene ends before she can reach him while holding a knife, leaving John Wick lovers on a cliffhanger. Does this mean that there can be a fifth instalment to the franchise? We saw a tombstone of John Wick, but we did not see a body. Movie lovers would love a proper send-off for John Wick, which could be a set-up for the fifth instalment. It can also be a set-up for a spin-off exploring the clash between Caine and Akira and the ripples that will follow in the Assassin world.
The time between Parabellum and Chapter 4
While the first two sequels started from the actions of the previous movie, John Wick 4 starts with an eight-month time jump. We can see this from the healing scars on the Bowery King’s body and John Wick’s healing.
In the John Wick parabellum, the Bowery king helps Wick after he falls from the rooftop of the Continental. This fourth instalment is set eight months from the actions of Parabellum. This is why we have a new elder played by George Georgios, while in chapter 3, the elder was played by Said Taghmaoui.
The bounty is increased after the action in Chapter 3
As John Wick’s body is not discovered after the actions of Chapter 3, it is deemed that he may have survived, and the high table is after his head. The bounty on his head in John Wick 3 was $14 million, but it quickly rises to $18 million as the antagonist Marquis Vincent de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgard, tries to take him down.
As the action proceeds, the bounty increases to a whopping $40 million. However, do you realise that one of the bounty hunters is responsible for the bounty to skyrocket as the movie plays on? Well, the tracker is always killing and helping Keanu Reeves’s character John Wick by killing off other hunters to increase the bounty and keep the bounty all to himself.
John Wick’s Name
As Winston advises John Wick on how to deal with the Marquis once and for all, he sets off to find a crime family that will support his endeavours. We again meet the Ruska Roma, who, if you recall, called John Wick’s real name in Parabellum – Jardani Jovonovich. Jardani is Romani for John, whereas Wick is a Westernised version of Vich. Although the Ruska Roma severed ties with John Wick in Parabellum, they adopted him back into the family in chapter 4.
However, at the movie’s end, the tombstone reads ‘John Wick Friend’. We don’t see John Wick using his real name during the movie except when with the Ruska Roma. Either way, the franchise is quite snappy with the title. Can you imagine the franchise being called Jardani Jovonovich? Well, neither do I.
Spin-offs?
There are planned spin-offs to John Wick, such as Ballerina. During Chapter 4, we see the Marquis watching a ballerina in a scene that gives a wink to the spin-off. There is a chance that the ballerina is one of the girls trained by Anjelica Huston’s Director.
The Director is introduced in Parabellum, who later pays the price for helping Wick by having her hands stabbed with a sword. As we come to understand that the head of the Ruska Roma crime family is the adoptive mother of Wick, and she also trains young Ballerinas as Assassins.
The Spinoff will be set during the eight months leading to chapter 4 and will focus on Ana de Armas’ hunting of those who killed her family. Those set to appear in the spin-off include Reddick, Hustom, Machane, Reeves, and Unity Phelan.
The final tribute
While we may be hoping for a fifth instalment of the Wick franchise, it seems that chapter 4 can be the final hurrah. Even though we don’t see John’s body and a funeral, the director has hinted that he is dead, and we can see the tombstone with his name on it.
However, if there is to be a fifth instalment to the franchise, then it has to be a reboot showing a whole new world where John survived, and Winston helped fake his death to escape the clutches of the High Table and those underneath it.
Dennis Juma
Meet Dennis, a movie and TV show enthusiast with a passion for writing. He is an entertainment industry reviewer who loves to explore new genres, styles, and themes. Dennis’s insights are always honest, informative, and engaging. His love for movies and storytelling makes him a natural fit for information on the latest movies.
