John Wick 5 back on cards: Could it be a prequel? Or a whole new face altogether?

Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski delivered on a rather tough promise with John Wick: Chapter 4. Having extended the cult-favourite franchise till the fourth instalment, the actor-director duo spurred a few doubts in the minds of the audience but the film lived up to the hype and, in fact, did far better than expected.

With $73.8 million, John Wick: Chapter 4 is the second-highest U.S. box office opening in Reeves' career behind the 2003 film The Matrix Reloaded ($91.8 million). The latest chapter outdid the collections of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum ($56.8 million) and went on to secure a whopping $137.5 million opening worldwide.

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However, the astonishing box office and critical success have come with a new kind of lure for the makers who, apparently, are now keenly considering adding a John Wick: Chapter 5 to their repertoire. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Joe Drake has declared the fifth part to be "no longer out of question", adding that the studio certainly has the will and the openness to take things forward.

But this brings (spoilers ahead) to the fore the concluding moments of Chapter 4 which reveal, or rather suggest, that John Wick has met his fatal end, although the viewers don't actually see him dead. Joe Drake adds that should Chapter 5 become a possibility, the ending could be interpreted differently and who knows, Wick might turn a phoenix after all.

Could the next instalment be a prequel, instead, which focuses on the founding of the stone-cold assassin that is John Wick? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Joe Drake doesn't discount that either.

However, director Chad Stahelski has not shown a lot of enthusiasm in wanting to expand things further, stating that he would want to take a break before committing anything. The studio previously wanted John Wick 4 and 5 to be shot together but Stahelski expressed discomfort over that and opted out. 

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Keanu Reeves, however, is said to be more optimistic about Chapter 5 but isn't willing to say anything with authority about the prospects.

Could Reeves be replaced as John Wick or even better, have a successor? In an era where multiverses are thriving, one could see the legacy of John Wick having more dimensions than what meets the eye and studios, too, can be trusted to whip up intriguing connections between two story worlds. Let's see what we have in store.