Keanu Reeves & Chad Stahelski discuss John Wick: Chapter 4 Ending: Every new installment of the John Wick franchise has smartly built and expanded on the lore. What started as an act of revenge has expanded beyond Keanu Reeves into its own shared universe, continually introducing well-rounded supporting characters. John Wick: Chapter 4 takes it a step further and makes us emotionally invest in these supporting characters, making us care for them and cheer for them, even if they are against John Wick. As anticipated, Chapter 4 has amped up the action and redefined the action genre.
Critics are in love with the film, and the fact that it is the top-rated film of the franchise on both, Rotten tomatoes & Metacritic, just substantiate how good the film is.
Massive Spoilers Ahead for John Wick 4
What Really Happens in John Wick: Chapter 4 Ending
Marquis Vincent de Gramont (played by Bill Skarsgård), a senior member of the High Table, emerges as Wick’s new adversary in John Wick 4. At the suggestion of Winston, Wick challenges De Gramont to a duel in order to be freed from his High Table obligation. During the negotiation of the terms, De Gramont nominates Caine (portrayed by Donnie Yen), a former blind friend of Wick, to fight in his place at Sacré-Cœur, much to Caine’s reluctance.
Although Wick wins the climactic duel, he sustains what appears to be a fatal injury. He slowly descends the stairs of Sacré-Cœur, reflecting on his late wife, and remembers the kiss with her while murmuring her name, “Helen.” The scene then cuts to the Bowery King (played by Laurence Fishburne) and Winston (played by Ian McShane) standing by Wick’s grave.
Has John Wick Really Died at the End of John Wick 4?
Keanu Reeves & Chad Stahelski Delve into the Emotional Ending
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, when the film recently premiered at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival, a fan asked director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves about the ending.
“We had the opportunity [to do another film] because the audience [response to] Chapter Three, and we were like, ‘What was the Why?’” Reeves says, seemingly referring to the overarching reason for Chapter 4 to exist. “And when Chad and I was talking, the Why? was death – and it was John Wick’s death. For him to get his peace, or freedom, in a way … that was the reason to make the movie. It can’t just be, ‘Let’s do another one.’ It was really about death, or a way of dying. We were really inspired by the Hagakure…”
For the uninitiated, The Hagakure is a Japanese book that provides instruction on the behavior and mentality of warriors, specifically samurais. It is a practical guidebook for those who aim to adopt the samurai way of life.
“We kind of took the way of dying – or the way we live well to die well – as the theme,” Stahelski says.
When Reeves was asked about his favorite scene in the film, and he pointed to Wick’s final moment. “If I just looked at from [the perspective of] John – John Wick – maybe him at the end on the stairs,” he says. “When he says ‘Helen.’ That, for me, after like eight years of playing the role and after shooting the [massive fight on the other set of stairs], that part that was [a poignant link] to the past.”
What do we think about the End?
While Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski sounded stern about the fate of Baba Yaga at the end of Chapter 4; however, it does end on a vague note. Remember how the fans furiously debated whether batman (Christain Bale) escaped at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, JW fans might come up with a similar theory as we don’t exactly see his dead body.
For John Wick to live his life peacefully, remembering the loving memories of his late wife, it’s important for him to die, as there’s no escape from the High Table. Though, this move on the part of the filmmakers will completely undercut the entire franchise’s existence. So, well, we must say our goodbye to the ‘Loving husband’ and the most beloved assassin of modern cinema.
Also, Read: The 6 Stages of Keanu Reeves’ Career Making Him An Urban Legend Icon
