Although John Wick 5 was quickly confirmed after the release of John Wick 4, these Keanu Reeves comments mean the actor likely shouldn’t return.

After the release of John Wick 4, the action star Keanu Reeves made some comments about what he wanted his character’s fate to be at the end of the film, and ultimately, his beliefs give John Wick 5 a negative quality. The John Wick franchise first began in 2014 and told the story of a retired assassin who, after losing his wife, and later his wife’s puppy, at the hands of a mobster, is sucked back into a world of violence and vengeance. Since then, three more John Wick films have been made, all starring Keanu Reeves, and apparently, John Wick 5 is currently in production.

The main problem with John Wick 5 is the fact that Keanu Reeves wanted John Wick to die for good at the end of John Wick 4. The franchise’s producer, Basil Iwanyk told Collider in an interview that “…making these films is so exhausting and it destroys Keanu, physically and emotionally. By the end, he’s always like, ‘I can’t do this again,’ and we agree with him.” Furthermore, he revealed Keanu’s request for John Wick 4: “”I wanna be definitively killed at the end of this movie.'” As a result, Wick dies at the end of John Wick 4 with a sliver of possibility that he could come back.

Keanu Reeves Wanting John Wick To “Definitively” Die Proves He Shouldn’t Return

At this stage, it is entirely unclear whether Keanu Reeves will return for John Wick 5, but after hearing his comments, it’s clear that the actor definitely should not come back. Although audiences would love to see Reeves return from the dead, the actor has clearly been exhausted by the role, and his health is certainly a priority over the John Wick film franchise. John Wick’s producers may have opened the door for Reeves to come back, but that is more of a personal choice for Reeves than it is a promise for audiences. Reeves could come back, but it would have to be on his own terms.

It helps that John Wick 5 could work without Keanu Reeves. John Wick’s story arc was brought to a satisfying close at the end of John Wick 4, which means there are no major questions or dissatisfactions left for the franchise to answer for. That means that introducing a new John Wick would be fairly easy for the franchise. Another helpful aspect is that John Wick can maintain the familiarity of its other characters. Reeves may be gone, but the franchise’s other beloved characters can remain to ensure that the new film does not feel too different from its predecessors, even with a new hero at its helm.

Why John Wick 5 – With Keanu Reeves – Now Seems Inevitable

Despite the fact that John Wick 5 could work without Keanu Reeves, the unfortunate truth is that it probably won’t. By leaving the door open for Reeves, John Wick’s producers made audiences feel expectant for Reeves’ return, when in reality, they just wanted to give the actor options. Ultimately, Wick’s potential resurrection, along with the announcement of John Wick 5, puts incredible pressure on Reeves to return. This is only worsened by headlines stating that Lionsgate will only go through with John Wick 5 if Keanu Reeves gets on board. Overall, Keanu Reeves has been put in a pretty difficult position.

Sadly, Reeves’ other comments about John Wick 5 have also not helped the situation. On John Wick 5, Reeves noted that he would be open to returning to the franchise, but the movie would have to have a really great story or reason for him to return. This comment not only gives audiences hope, which in turn, increases anticipation and expectations, but also, makes producers feel like they must come up with something amazing to get Reeves back. Although John Wick 5 did not need to have all these stipulations, it simply has because of John Wick 4’s open door for Reeves to return.

How John Wick 5 Can Undo John Wick’s Death

The process of resurrecting John Wick won’t be a terribly complicated one if it happens. Although John Wick 4 shows Wick’s grave, John Wick 5 can explain that perhaps Wick, like Reeves, wanted out from his assassin lifestyle, and as a result, faked his own death. So, although the movie showed Wick’s death and grave, the reality was that he survived his wounds and fled, creating a new identity for himself. This would actually be a pretty ironic storyline for John Wick 5 to follow because of Keanu Reeves’ own feelings about continuing the franchise. But, hopefully, Reeves will be able to make a choice that is best for him.