Keanu Reeves pleads with the director to let John Wick meet his demise

Keanu Reeves reveals his exhaustion in portraying the character John Wick. Producers say the actor begged for the character to be ‘killed off’ in the finale of part 4.

In an interview with Collider, Basil Iwanyk, the producer of the John Wick series, disclosed that lead actor Keanu Reeves requested the crew to let his character meet his end in the fourth installment of the popular film series.

‘After part four, we felt the exhaustion of film production. We pushed Keanu to the limit. He endured to the point of saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore’ at the end of the final scene. We agreed with that,’ said Iwanyk.

During the filming of John Wick 4, the actor underwent various daring scenes, including sitting on a doorless car, engaging in a gunfight at Mont Saint-Michel, France, and horseback pursuits. The actor expressed fatigue due to the continuous pursuit of the film series.

‘I want my character to be killed off at the end of the film,’ Keanu Reeves told the director.

To fulfill Reeves’ wishes, the director has John Wick collapse in front of the Sacré Coeur, followed by a scene where Winston and the Bowery King visit John Wick’s grave. The open ending leaves the audience speculating about the future of the film series.

However, in another interview, director Chad Stahelski mentioned shooting an alternative ending, contrary to John Wick meeting his demise. Despite weariness with the film, Keanu Reeves expressed readiness to return to the series if Chad Stahelski continues as the director.

In an interview with Deadline, the producer revealed that the director, stationed in Japan, is planning for the fifth installment of the series, hoping to break away from the conventions of the film series.

Despite exhaustion with the series, John Wick remains a popular brand, contributing to Keanu Reeves’ fame. The fourth installment of the assassin film series brought in approximately 430 million USD for Lionsgate, totaling 1 billion USD for all four films. The film also received critical acclaim, with a 95% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.