The ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 comes as a shock to fans. While John Wick wins his climactic duel against Marquis, he has suffered one gunshot too many and is seemingly fatally wounded. Eventually, John seemingly perishes, and the film's final scene has Winston standing at Wick's grave. But did John Wick really die?
In John Wick: Chapter 4, the title character is in great trouble. The High Table is out for his head, and new enemies, including old chum, the Tracker, and German High Table member Killa, also hunt him. Will he clear his name and make it our alive? If he does, what will be left of him?
John Wick Chapter 4's shocking ending explained
John Wick: Chapter 4 showcases John dealing with the bounty put on his head after his deeds make him expelled from the High Table. He pledges to take down the global criminal organization once and for all.
His mission brings him into contact with fellow assassin Caine and the Marquis. To gain his freedom from the High Table, he must challenge the Marquis to a duel and emerge the winner.
While he is determined to clear his name for good, it doesn’t happen easily. The fights lead to an action-packed and emotional finale. Here is John Wick: Chapter 4’s shocking ending explained:
Where is John Wick at the end of the chapter?
At the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, he has made his way to Paris for a last duel with Marquis. The Marquis is a powerful emissary for the High Table based in Paris. With a multimillion-dollar bounty on John’s head, he challenges the Marquis to a duel to death at the Trocadero.
Even though he is charged with taking out John Wick, the Marquis lets Caine do the dirty work for him. If John Wick wins the duel, he will regain his freedom. John and Caine take turns wounding one another until Caine’s last shot in John’s gut puts him on the ground.
With John Wick on the ground, the Marquis steps in, looking forward to putting a final bullet into John. However, it turns out that John didn't fire his gun for the final round. Therefore, according to the rules of the High Table, John gives the Marquis one last shot in the head.
Caine and Winston try tending to the heavily injured John Wick, but before they can help him, he is last seen slumped over, presumably dead.
Is John Wick really dead?
In the final scenes of John Wick: Chapter 4, John is dead. The final scene shows Bowery King and Winston in New York City, where they visit John's grave. As per John's wishes, his headstone reads, 'Beloved husband.'
While the king and Winston are paying their last respect to the grave, the Canine’s head perks up as though he hears someone or something. Some people think it could be a random squirrel, while diehard fans believe it is John Wick watching the moment from a distance.
Even though John Wick seems dead at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, the movie left several hints that the character could have faked his death and survived.
Some of these hints include:
- John’s burial isn't shown
- John Wick: Chapter 5 production is already happening
- John Wick: Chapter 4 cut a scene confirming John survived
- Winston and the Bowery king are powerful enough to fake John's death
- The dog in John Wick: Chapter 4 sees something in the cemetery
- John Wick has survived much worse
- Several of John's allies weren't at the cemetery
John Wick: Chapter 5
Since the movie’s first modest box office success in 2004, John Wick movies have continued growing in popularity. After three films, John Wick has grown into a billion-dollar franchise, with the fourth chapter making more than $432 million.
With such a huge success, many have wondered why the studio would kill the character at the peak of the series' fame and box office success. Even though it is considered one of the boldest moves in the film sector, there is no doubt that the film will be renewed into another chapter.
After all, Hollywood is an industry where franchises never die if they are still considered popular, regardless of how unnecessary they might seem. In addition, in 2020, director Chad Stahelski announced a fifth chapter.
The franchise will expand beyond the main man, as seen in the prequel series, The Continental and the spinoff film, Ballerina. There is a likelihood that John Wick might pop up in that. If not, the prequel and spinoff guarantee views that John Wick will be seen somewhere down the line.
Will there be a John Wick 5? Yes, there will be a fifth chapter. Joe Drake, president of the production company at Lionsgate, confirmed the news during the presentation of the company's quarterly results.
He highlighted that John Wick: Chapter 5 was a reality because they resumed production when the Hollywood screenwriter strike ended. He revealed:
We started to work on (it) right when the writer's strike started, and we've gotten back to work as soon as it ended.
John Wick 4 post-credit scene
Caine is displayed as an equally, if not better, killer than John Wick. He is deeply complicated but loves his daughter to death. However, he is willing and ready to eliminate anyone who gets in his way.
For instance, he kills the manager of the Osaka Continental and Shimazu Koji, one of John Wick’s old best friends. Caine kills Koji in front of her daughter Akira. What is important about John Wick: Chapter 4’s post-credit scene? When Caine is nearly reunited with his daughter, Akira emerges to challenge him.
Frequently asked questions
- Is John Wick 4 the last one? No, it is not the last one. Lionsgate CEO confirmed a 5th season was in development. The production resumed after the Hollywood screenwriter’s strike came to an end.
- Why did John Wick 4 and 5 back-to-back production stop? Simultaneous production was stopped to give the director room for a creative hiatus, hence opting to move forward with John Wick: Chapter 4 first.
- What are the rules of the duel? The fighting parties fire their pistols, inching closer to one another with each shot until one of them is dead.
- Does John Wick make it to the duel? Yes, he does. He gets help from The Tracker and later from Caine before beginning the fight.
- Does John Wick win the duel? Yes, he does. John pulls the final trigger, winning the duel and getting his name cleared from the High Table.
- Will Keanu Reeves play in John Wick 5? Despite where he's left at the end of Chapter 4, no one can imagine a John Wick movie without Keanu Reeves, so he'll be back for the 5th chapter.
- What would happen in John Wick: Chapter 5?John Wick: Chapter 5 might explore the idea of Baba Yaga faking his death since the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 made it seem that the titular hero had finally met his end.
Final word
Since the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, fans have been recovering from the stunning ending, which left them wondering, did John Wick really die? Even though he had saved his best shot for the last, gaining his freedom from the shadowy High Table, it doesn't come without sacrifices. The last mention of the star is on a tombstone.
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