John Wick director Chad Stahelski explains why he’s unsure about John Wick 5 despite Lionsgate announcing the sequel will go into production.

John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski has opened up about why he’s unsure about John Wick 5 and where to take the franchise next. John Wick: Chapter 4 seemingly ended the action film series, with John (Keanu Reeves) dying after finally being released from his service to the High Table. Even so, Lionsgate announced John Wick 5 is in development back in May, teasing the franchise will continue despite John’s apparent death.

Speaking with Empire, Stahelski explained that he’s unsure about where to take the story of John Wick 5, casting doubt on if the film will be made. The director said that he’s torn between letting John Wick: Chapter 4 be the end of the series, or continuing with John Wick 5. Check out what Stahelski had to say below:

Now we’ve done the four, and completed the circle, so to speak, I think it’s pretty good closure for the series. And then there’s the competitor, or the real director in me who goes, ‘Fuck it, let’s just see if we can do it.’ It’s very appealing. I just don’t have the ‘why’ yet. But that doesn’t mean we should stop looking.

How Could John Wick 5 Happen?

Despite John Wick: Chapter 4 ending with John dead, the final film in the series set up more stories in the John Wick universe. John Wick: Chapter 4‘s post-credits scene shows Caine (Donnie Yen) being approached by Akira (Rina Sawayama), who is out for revenge against the blind assassin after he 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed her father. With John now dead, it’s possible John Wick 5 won’t feature the titular assassin at all, instead moving on to Caine’s storyline.

However, due to the popularity of Reeves’ John, it’s unlikely a sequel will be made without his involvement. If John Wick 5 happens, the movie will likely reveal John faked his death to ensure members of the High Table wouldn’t come after him. Even so, the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 was a satisfying conclusion to John’s character arc, which could be cheapened if he is brought back from the dead.

Either way, Lionsgate intends to expand the John Wick universe with The Continental miniseries on Peacock in September and Ballerina, which arrives in theaters on June 7, 2024. While Stahelski may not have any ideas yet for John Wick 5, it’s still likely to be produced due to the success of John Wick: Chapter 4. Only time will tell how John Wick 5 will play out, and if it will respect the ending of the previous movie.